


The Summer We Met

by easilydistractedbyfanfic



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Summer Camp, Background Relationships, Canon-Typical Violence, Cussing, Domestic Violence, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Minor Bellamy Blake/Clarke Griffin, Minor Character(s), Stalking, The Delinquents, Threats of Rape/Non-Con, Threats of Violence, hey hey the gang's all here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-19
Updated: 2020-03-19
Packaged: 2020-09-07 09:56:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 52,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20307598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/easilydistractedbyfanfic/pseuds/easilydistractedbyfanfic
Summary: Raven & Clarke are excited to spend their first summer as counselors at the idyllic Camp Jaha in the California redwoods. Unfortunately for Raven, someone from her past has followed her, threatening to ruin the peace she's managed to find.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I know. Don't say it. WHY am I starting another WIP when I still have one going? It's the muse, blame the muse! I type what she wants and it's best if I don't ask questions. Anyway, this is the fic I've been working on the longest - a summer camp AU that I started last August, if you can believe it! But I've only worked on it sporadically. I told myself I wouldn't publish it at all until it was complete... but.... I have over 30k written and I'm hoping to get this one OUT of my head so I can get back to focusing on my long WIP instead. Plus I wanted this to be my 25th fic (OMG!), and I've got a one-shot coming for a fandom event. Anyway, as always, I hope you like this!

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/170152452@N02/48799735831/in/dateposted-public/)

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/170152452@N02/48573083147/in/dateposted-public/)

_ It’s gonna be a good summer_, Raven Reyes grins to herself as she takes in the beautiful view of the lake, cabins and trees spread before her. She watches as the setting sun sends shining sparkles over the lake’s surface and a feeling of peace washes over her normally busy brain. She’s going to be enveloped in these surroundings for the next couple of months and couldn’t be happier about it. Taking her shoes off, she traces her toes in the soft sand as she waits for her best friend, Clarke Griffin, to join her. 

The air smells damper than she’s used to, more earthy, and it’s certainly not as hot, but that’s what happens when you go from southern California to northern. Earlier that day, she and Clarke had taken the journey to Camp Jaha, a summer camp nestled not far from the town of Arcata, deep in the redwoods of Humboldt County. Months ago, when Raven had spoken with her work study coordinator at college, she had mentioned she was looking for a summer job, and the counselor had come through with some applications, including for a summer camp that served underprivileged children. Both she and Clarke had jumped at the chance for some adventure in a new environment, and it didn’t hurt that besides their room and board being covered, they’d receive a stipend for their work that would help cover books next semester. They were thankful that they both had been selected, although they’d be doing very different jobs while at the camp. Today started their orientation process before any of the children arrived, and they had been picked up at the bus station that afternoon and shown to the main building where they’d gone off separately to meet with their Camp Advisors. 

“Hey, there you are! Wow, what a view!” Clarke sounded just as excited at their summer prospects as Raven was as she joined her on the bench. 

“Yeah, it’s pretty great, isn’t it?” Raven turned and nudged Clarke with her shoulder. “How’s your Advisor, do you think it’ll be a good fit?”

“Definitely, he kind of reminds me of my mom, if you can believe it! I think Dr. Jackson will have a lot to teach me.” Clarke had decided to follow in her mother’s footsteps and also become a surgeon, and would be assisting Dr. Eric Jackson in the camp infirmary for the summer. It would be a great chance to practice some of the medical skills she had already learned from completing her Freshman year at Stanford University’s School of Medicine, and she hoped it would also provide her with some new experiences. “How about you, are you relieved or worried?”

“Oh my gosh, Clarke, I’m _ thrilled_! I can already tell that Sinclair is incredibly smart and he was so _ nice _ during our meeting too. He seemed to really take an interest in what I had to say, and he wants to implement some of my ideas with the campers!” Raven beamed. Jacapo Sinclair would be supervising Raven all summer, and the two would be hosting classes for the campers on a variety of interesting projects like building robots, working on STEM activities and even creating their own drones. Like Clarke, Raven had just completed her Freshman year at Stanford as well, but she was majoring in Aerospace Engineering. 

“Raven, if Sinclair hasn’t already realized you’re a genius and he’s lucky to have you, just give him a few days!” Clarke teased her best friend. She and Raven had met in high school and Raven had been a voracious learner from the start. That hadn’t changed since they’d become roommates at Stanford, and Clarke doubted it ever would. 

“Let’s hope they all like us both, and then maybe we can come back and do this job next summer too - it already looks like it’s going to be so much fun! Oh, hey - I think our time is almost up. Sinclair said to meet back up in the building foyer after a fifteen minute break. Now we get to go see our cabins and meet some of our roommates, and then it’s time for dinner.”

Raven and Clarke make their way back to the building where a lot of the other counselors were gathering. Some people seemed to already have groups of friends while others were on their own or clustered in twos and threes. There was an anticipatory feeling as everyone took in the presence of those that they’d be spending their summer with and prepared to see where they’d be staying. 

A tall man wearing a fitted black sweater stepped towards the front of the hall. “Good afternoon, everyone! I’m Marcus Kane and some of you may know me already from previous years. I’ve been involved with Camp Jaha since it began, and I’m currently the advisor for the Art & Photography department. Not all of our counselors have arrived yet - some will reach us later tonight and the rest should arrive by tomorrow. After we show you to your bunks, you’ll have some time to meet your roommates and clean up prior to dinner. We ask that you make your way back to the dining room here in our main building, which we call The Ark, no later than 5pm. Afterwards, we’ll hear from the Camp Director and we’ll have a group activity planned prior to lights out. We’ll have an early start in the morning, but for now, please follow me and we’ll head off to the section of the camp that holds the counselor bunk houses.”

Raven and Clarke exchanged a smile as they fell into the large group who passed through the doors. The paths of the camp were clearly marked with wooden signs, and Raven saw that each path was labeled with an animal who was native to the area. They took the one called Coyote Pass and it sloped slowly up towards the woods. After ten minutes or so of walking, they came to an area where about a dozen bunkhouses were laid out under the trees. Raven was pleased to see that the small huts weren’t pushed too close together - it looked as though you wouldn’t be able to hear conversations in other cabins, based on the distance. 

“If I call your name, please go into the cabin that we’ve stopped in front of. Your bags should already be present inside. Each cabin will have either a Senior Camp Counselor or two Junior Camp Counselors. Some cabins will house four counselors and the larger cabins will hold six. If you’re missing a bag or personal item, let your Senior Counselor know. Make yourself comfortable inside - everyone has a bulletin board near their bed, but please remember no tacks in the walls! Make a note - ladies have cabins with even numbers, guys have odd numbered cabins. Off to the left just up ahead are the two bath houses - one for the ladies, the other for the gentlemen. These are strictly off limits to the opposite sex, and any infractions will result in an immediate ending of your employment with Camp Jaha. I expect you all to respect the rules. That said, here in Cabin 1, we have….”

Raven zoned out a little as Mr. Kane went on. She knew Clarke would be fully concentrating to hear either of their names, and Raven wanted to digest the layout of the counselor section a little more. It looked like the cabins were arranged with odd numbers on the left and even numbers on the right, in something of a U-shape. She hoped that she and Clarke got a cabin towards the back, as it would be a little darker, away from the path lights. Raven could be a light sleeper at times and was worried that having new roommates and a new sleeping environment would take a toll on her rest. 

“C’mon, this one’s ours!” Clarke pulled on her arm, abruptly pulling her out of her woolgathering. Raven climbed up the steps of Cabin 10, gratified to see that their cabin was one of the farthest away from the main walkway.

Once inside, she quickly took everything in and it was good news - they had a cabin for four, not six. Raven was all for meeting new people but after having lived with only Clarke as a roommate before, it was one less issue to worry about. Raven saw that two beds were along each side of the cabin, with their footboards sticking into the middle of the room to create a center aisle. In between the beds, one on each side of the cabin, there was a decent-sized desk with a chair, and a mirror hung over it along with a smaller bulletin board. Each bed had small nightstands flanking them, and a large bulletin board hung above all four headboards for personal decorations.The twin beds looked like they were sitting on platforms that had drawers underneath instead of being empty space, so hopefully there would be plenty of room for all her gear. On the back wall of the cabin, she could see that there were two shallow wardrobes, a larger wall mirror and multiple hooks on the remaining wall space. There was also one tall, skinny cubby with multiple shelves and a short, squat refrigerator at the bottom. Along the walls not covered by furniture, there were lots of screened windows. Overall, the cabin was small and had a low ceiling, but it was a good use of space, and even better, above each bed and attached to the ceiling, Raven could see that there was a track system that allowed ringed, heavy curtains to be pulled around each bed, providing some privacy or to block out any light. Now _ that _was an excellent unexpected surprise. 

“Hi, you two, I’m Lexa! I’m one of the Juniors in this bunk.” Sitting on the bed closest to the door on the left side of the cabin was a young woman with long, light-brown hair. 

“Hi! I’m Clarke, and this is my friend, Raven. We’ve known each other for years but this is our first time here.” They all traded smiles and greetings. 

“Oh, I think you’re really going to have fun, then - this is a great place! I started coming here as a counselor after my freshman year - some other friends told me about it so I applied and I’ve always been glad I did. If you all are fine with it, I’ll take this bed, here, and if you two want to grab the other side of the room, looks like we’re still waiting for one other roommate. If she doesn’t get here tonight, we’ll probably see her tomorrow.”

“Sure, we’ll take this side. Looks like all my bags are here, Clarke, how about you?” Raven asked and saw Clarke nod. Raven moved towards the first bed by the door since she was closest to it, and Clarke caught her eye and moved towards the bed closer to the back wall. She liked having cooler air at night and the first bed was closer to the front windows, so Clarke would probably be glad to be farther away. 

Lexa spoke up again. “The wardrobe on the right side of the back wall will be for you two to share. If you brought any dresses, skirts or nicer blouses for the few evenings we need to dress up, they’re better off in there. Everything else should fit in the drawers under your bed. We mostly use the hooks on the wall for jackets and sweatshirts, and sometimes our bathing suits and towels if it’s raining out. Each cabin has a clothesline right outside, so when we come back from the lake, things can be hung there. In the cubbies above the fridge, we each get a shelf to keep a few snacks, and the fridge will hold some drinks and water you can get over at The Ark. You’ll also get your own cubby in the bath house where you can leave some of your shower stuff. If your flattened bags or suitcase won’t fit anywhere else, sometimes we boost them up on top of the wardrobes so they don’t clutter up the place.” Lexa grabbed a hair tie off her wrist and twisted it around her hair into a low bun. “I got here earlier and am mostly unpacked. I’m going to head down now to The Ark to talk to everyone before dinner. Don’t forget to get there by five o’clock!”. And she waved as she walked towards the cabin door. 

“Thanks, Lexa! Good to know all that stuff.” Clarke called after her and then turned to Raven and her tone turned slightly mocking. “Wow, Raven, this place could end up being neater than our dorm room and it’ll have _ two more _ people in it.”

“Oh, you’re funny! My natural state _ is _ to clean up, you know, but maybe if I wasn’t interrupted so much, I’d actually finish a project and it wouldn’t need to lay around cluttering up your precious aesthetic!” Raven joked right back. 

“If I didn’t interrupt you sometimes for a little fun, you’d focus on your projects all day and all night. You’re lucky you live with someone who obviously cares about your social life, otherwise you’d practically be a hermit.” Clarke had stopped with the teasing vibe and was now just being gently honest. 

Raven knew Clarke was right, but she hadn’t much felt like being friendly for a while. The summer before their Freshman year at Stanford, Raven had begun dating another student and while things had gone well for a time, they soured and the situation got complicated. Since then, Raven had concentrated on her studies, and while she didn’t regret that, it was true that her first year in college had resulted in a lot less social activity. 

She met Clarke’s eyes. “I am lucky to have you, Clarke, and I know it. I’m so thankful you were there for me during everything, and I promise that I’ll make a better attempt at being sociable while we’re here, okay?”

Clarke impulsively leaned over and gave her a hug. “I’m lucky to have you, too! C’mon, let’s unpack and get back down to The Ark and maybe we’ll have time to mingle before dinner too.”

*****

It took them longer than they thought to unpack and get organized, and by the time they made it down to The Ark for dinner, most of the tables had filled in from the front and then backwards into the room, so they joined a smaller table that had some seats open. During dinner, they learned that two of their tablemates, Charlotte and Maya, were part of the large lifeguard crew that the camp employed to help teach the kids how to swim and boat. They both were also new to the camp and didn’t know exactly what to expect from the rest of the evening. 

After a pleasant dinner, everyone turned to focus their attention to the stage at the front of the room. An attractive man wearing a polo shirt with the camp logo on it jogged up the stage steps and approached the microphone. Raven thought he looked like he might be in his early thirties. 

“Good evening, counselors! Welcome to Camp Jaha! I’m Wells Jaha, the current Camp Director. About twenty-eight years ago, my father, Thelonius Jaha, started this camp. He wanted a place where children from underprivileged situations would be able to come and enjoy the beauty of nature, where they could experience learning about the world around them in these amazing surroundings and hopefully where our camp could incite a lifelong respect and love of the environment in their hearts. I’m honored to continue my father’s traditions and I hope that all of you will come to love Camp Jaha as much as I do!” He smiled out into the crowd gathered at the many tables in The Ark. 

“I see some familiar faces looking back at me tonight, as well as plenty of new ones.” Mr. Jaha continued. “Tomorrow morning you’ll all start your training with your particular advisors - you’ll review your schedules, learn the camp layout, hear about your responsibilities and meet the rest of the counselors in your section before all the kids arrive in a few days. You will each be provided with a folder with much of this information printed out for you, but let me just give you a bit of an overview of what your counseling experience will look like, especially for you newbies out there! First, some of you are here to teach a specific activity or class, some of you are here to work in our safety and medical departments, some are involved with our many behind the scenes areas like the kitchens or maintenance, and still others are on the front lines with the campers and will be assigned to a specific group of kids every day. When the campers arrive, they will rotate through all of our various activities on something of a weekly schedule. Each day will be broken down into morning, afternoon & evening time slots. If you are here to help the campers with an activity, you will typically have multiple class groups during the morning and afternoon, and then you might be assigned an evening activity like dinner duty or possibly helping to supervise a night hike, something along those lines. You will all have some downtime in your schedule, and during your rotating days off, transportation will be provided to the downtown area if you should like to take advantage of that. There will be a strict sign in and sign out log for anyone leaving camp.” 

At this, the Camp Director looked out sternly at the gathering of young adults. “I must stress to you that while our Camp is about fun, we do have rules and expectations of both our counselors and our campers. There is a curfew for all campers, dependent on their age, where they must be in their bunks at a particular time each night. For our counselors, everyone is expected to be in their bunkhouse by midnight every day except Friday, and on Friday nights, you must be in your bunk by one AM. No member of the opposite gender is allowed in any of the bath houses at any time - no exceptions. We know that most of you are living away from home or in dorms and have been acting like adults before you came here, and we wish to treat you that way. However, we have a responsibility to set an example for our campers and if anyone has an issue with our curfews or rules, you may come and speak directly with me.” Jaha surveyed the faces before him. 

“Now, all that said, let’s have a little fun getting to know each other! You will notice that all the tables are labeled with numbers. Some of the staff have been walking around and passing out slips of paper with three sets of numbers on them to each of you - a first number, second number and third number. When I ring the bell, walk to your first table number. You’ll meet someone with the same number there and will have a chance to talk and introduce yourselves. When time is up, I’ll ring the bell up here again and you’ll go to your next table number, and so on. Everyone will meet three other counselors this way.”

There was a buzz of energy as everyone looked around the room and started glancing at the slips of paper that had been set before them while Director Jaha had been speaking. Raven saw that she had 3, 22 and 13 listed on her sheet, and none of those numbers matched up to Clarke’s page. Clarke leaned over and suggested that they meet by the main doors when the introduction session was over, and Raven had just enough time to nod in response before the first bell rang. 

Raven made her way over to table 3, close to the front and the stage. She took a seat facing into the room and watched as the crowd dispersed through the large space, and soon she spotted a tall, lanky young man walking towards her. 

“Hey, I’m Jasper! How’s it goin’?” He slid into his seat and reached across to shake Raven’s hand. Jasper had an infectious grin and Raven couldn’t help but smile back. It was clear Jasper had a laid-back personality. As the two chatted, she learned that Jasper was new to the camp this year and was going to be starting his Freshman year at CalTech in September. He and his friend Monty would be leading some of the Computer Science classes for the campers over the summer, and Raven was pleased to learn that would mean that she and Jasper would both be under Sinclair’s tutelage and would be spending the next couple of days together learning the ropes. 

“Do you know anyone else here besides your friend, Monty?” Raven asked. “I know my friend Clarke, who’s going to be working in the infirmary, but other than that I’ve just met one of our roommates and a few members of the lifeguard crew at dinner tonight.”

“Monty and me rode up here on a bus with another guy from CalTech, his name’s Miller, but he’s gonna be a Senior so we never met him before. He’s involved with the water crew too, and Lincoln, our Senior Counselor that we’re bunking with, he’s also water crew. I think that’s supposed to be the biggest group of counselors, after the ones who stay with the campers.”

“Yeah, I think you’re right. Did you guys meet Sinclair already? He seems really fantastic! I can’t wait to start the engineering classes - I hope most of the kids are into it.”

“Who’s not into building robots! And yep, me and Monty have been hacking buddies for a long time and Sinclair sounds like he knows what he’s talking about. It’ll be a nice change, actually doin’ what we like and being appreciated for it instead of in detention all the time.” Jasper’s impish look tells Raven that he and his friend Monty probably have quite a few stories that’ll make her laugh. She’s about to ask him to tell her more, but before she can, they both look up as the bell on the stage rings out. 

“Bye, Raven!” Jasper waves as he stands up from his chair. 

“Yeah, Jasper, see you tomorrow,” she replies, and double checks the next number on her list. Raven walks towards the middle of the dining hall, scanning for table 22. As she approaches, she spots a beautiful young woman with long, curly hair already seated, and Raven takes the chair across from her. 

“Hi, I’m Raven.”

“I’m Luna, a pleasure to meet you, Raven.” Her voice is soft and serene, and overall Luna gives off a relaxed and confident vibe, appearing very mature in the sea of loud and boisterous young adults. Raven wonders if Luna might be one of the older counselors, and as Luna explains that she’s going to be a Junior at Stanford next year, Raven is astonished. 

“I can’t believe we go to the same school! I guess it’s no surprise since it’s a pretty large campus. What’s your major? I’m in Aerospace Engineering and I’m going to be leading some of the engineering classes this summer - first time here.”

“Oh, you’re going to really love it, I bet! I’ve been coming a few years now. I major in Environmental Science with a focus on ocean studies, but I’m actually here to teach Yoga and some meditations to the campers. The camp is really open-minded and believes that giving kids an outlet for their stress while they’re here will help them back at home. I love being able to teach them ways to calm down and how to clear their minds.”

“Wow, maybe I ought to try and take one of your classes - clearing my mind has never been my forte!” Raven jokes but she thinks Luna can hear the underlying truth of her statement. 

“You’d be surprised at how just a few techniques can really make a difference. I’m sure I’ll have a chance to teach you some this summer, if you want. Last year I taught my friend Lexa a few relaxation techniques she can do before she enters competitions, and she tells me they work for her.”

“Lexa? As in Lexa who’s also a counselor here? She’s one of my roommates, along with my friend, Clarke - who also goes to Stanford, by the way, but at the School of Medicine.”

“Yes, that’s the Lexa that I mean, and if you’re Lexa’s roommate, that must mean you’re my roommate too - I’m assigned with Lexa as Junior Counselors this year in one of the bunks that hold four. I didn’t get in to camp til just before dinner so I haven’t made my way to the bunk yet.” Luna explains. 

“Awesome, looks like we’re roommates then! Yeah, we have a bunk for four, so it’s you, me, Lexa and Clarke. Clarke’s here for the infirmary, she wants to be a surgeon like her mom, but I’m not sure what Lexa’s teaching.” Raven realized they hadn’t learned that much about Lexa in their brief chat before dinner. 

“Lexa is here with some of her friends and they teach fencing, if you can believe it! I’ve been pretty good friends with her group for a couple of years now and Lexa’s the youngest. She goes to Oregon State University along with her teammates Echo and Roan, and they’re all on the fencing team together and they’re all Poli Sci majors too. They’re a pretty tight group but not unfriendly.” Luna clears her throat. “Actually, last summer Roan and I started dating, so I hang out with them pretty often. You’ll probably see him around our bunk before curfew a lot, so just tell me if he starts to drive you crazy - he’s got an interesting sense of humor and likes to tease.”

Raven grins at the fond expression on Luna’s face as she talks about Roan. It’s nice to see that dating has made someone happy, for a change… although as soon as Raven has that thought, she knows it’s a cynical one that Clarke would chide her for. 

“What about you, Raven - somebody back home waiting for you, or are you open to the possibilities of a summer romance?” Luna raises her eyebrows suggestively. 

“Me, oh, no… definitely no one waiting at home. Actually, I’ve been focused on my studies for a while now, but Clarke is trying to convince me to be more social this summer. I don’t know, though. I’m not sure dating is my thing.” Raven shrugs. 

Luna looks at her thoughtfully but before she can continue, the bell chimes out from the stage area. “See you at the bunk, Raven.” And then Luna gracefully rises from her chair and makes her way across the room. 

Raven remembers her last table is 13, which is close by. Grinning, she wonders if her last meeting of the night will be lucky or unlucky. As she waits at the table, she thinks about Luna’s remarks about dating and realizes she hadn’t thought at all about the possibility of meeting someone over the summer. Was that a sign she’d really been too far buried in her books? Or maybe it was just everything that had happened with her last disastrous relationship that had burned her so badly. It had definitely been a while since she had kissed anyone… even longer since she’d had a first date. She supposed Clarke had a point when she’d said she was in danger of becoming a hermit. She looks around the room, watching to see if anyone caught her eye. Maybe it wouldn’t be a bad thing to at least _ consider _ the possibility, she told herself. Nothing could really get serious, since they were all only there for a chunk of the summer. Maybe having an automatic end date would be a good thing - no expectations, no worries about whether things would end or how they’d end, because the ending would already be clear. Once summer camp was over, they’d each just go their separate ways. Raven perks up as she contemplates this new information. 

She was jolted out of her musings as a young man pulled out the chair across from her and sat down. She could tell he was taller than she was, and he had a face full of sharp angles. His lips twisted slightly in a smirk, like he had a private joke. Raven looked up and met his eyes, which were a nice shade of blue. He was attractive, in a way she couldn’t really put her finger on, but it was more than just his physical appearance, it was the way he carried himself. 

“Hey. I’m Murphy. You’re new.”

Raven quirked her eyebrow. “I am new, yeah. And I’m Raven Reyes. You got a first name, Murphy?”

He smiles briefly at her. “It’s John, but nobody uses that. I know you’re new because I know everybody around here and I haven’t seen you before.” Murphy spreads his arms out to encompass the room. “Welcome to Jaha.”

“You own the place or something?” Raven isn’t typically so abrupt, but something about this guy gets her hackles up. 

Murphy laughs at her attitude. “No, it’s just that this camp is pretty much my second home. I started coming here as a kid, and then I continued with odd jobs around the place in some capacity every summer while I was in high school, and this’ll be my third year as a counselor. There’s not a whole lot that happens around here that I don’t know about. What’s your story?”

Raven regards him impassively. “My story? Nothing that interesting. I’m an Aerospace Engineer major at Stanford, going into Sophomore year, and I’m gonna be teaching some of the Engineering activities to earn some money for next semester.”

“Lucky you, you’ve got Sinclair then. He’s a good guy unless you slack off, then be prepared for him to be disappointed in you, which actually makes even me feel bad, and that’s saying something. So you wanna be an astronaut or just want to build the rockets they fly in?”

“Who says I can’t do both?” Raven retorts with an annoyed frown, but Murphy takes it in stride as his smirk widens. 

“Nothing wrong with a woman with ambition, although that sounds like a lot of work to me.” Murphy shrugs. 

“Oh, a lot of work, huh? And what exactly are _ your _ life goals?” Raven hates the haughty tone that’s crept into her voice, but damn if this stranger isn’t pushing her buttons. 

“You know, just your general slacker agenda. I’m a Junior at USC, with a double major in Journalism and Photography. I’m in charge of all the photography classes around here.” Murphy looks at her with a bit of a challenge in his eyes, and Raven feels herself soften just a little. 

“So, what, you couldn’t decide between Clark Kent or Peter Parker?” She’s pleased to see Murphy appreciates her reference by the surprised laugh he breathes out. 

“If I have to pick, I’d say I’m more of a Deadpool fan, actually.” Murphy grins mischievously at her and Raven finds herself unable to do anything but smile back as she considers just how much he’s revealed about himself by the simple act of sharing a comic book character preference. 

As they consider each other over the expanse of the table, the last bell sounds from the stage, and Director Jaha speaks into the microphone. “Okay, everyone! That’s going to end things for tonight. Meet back here at 8am sharp for breakfast tomorrow morning, to be followed by your first day of training. Curfew tonight is 11pm and then you have to be in your bunks. Finish unpacking, get to know your roommates or take a shower, but whatever you do, get some rest for a busy day tomorrow. Dismissed!”

Everyone starts to flood towards the doors along the side of the room, and Raven looks up as she hears Murphy speak, feeling oddly disappointed that their time is so short. 

“See ya around, Reyes.” Murphy’s eyes glint with laughter as he takes a step backwards, away from her. 

“Yeah, see ya, Murphy.” Raven turns towards the doors and thinks that maybe having her buttons pushed isn’t the worst thing in the world, and she looks around for Clarke.


	2. Chapter 2

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/170152452@N02/48573083147/in/dateposted-public/)

Early the next morning, Raven joins Jasper and Monty in Sinclair’s office down one of the hallways of The Ark to start their orientation. They had each been given their packets of information to review, spending a good chunk of their time filling out forms and going through questions Sinclair had about their abilities and comfort levels with campers. Then Sinclair had taken them on a tour of the camp, pointing out the various spaces where the campers and their head counselors would sleep, the activity buildings, and some of the path shortcuts. They had briefly passed by the wide, sunny structure where the two large classrooms were located for Computer Science & Engineering, but Sinclair explained that they’d come back to the rooms after lunch for their next segment. They had about forty-five minutes before they joined everyone to eat in the main dining room, but Sinclair had gotten a phone call he needed to return, so he advised the three counselors to take a ten minute break until he returned. Monty and Jasper disappeared towards the rest rooms, and Raven decided to walk down the hall to the small alcove where some vending machines were located. She had just chosen a sparkling lemon water and had turned to throw away the wrapper around the cap when someone joined her in the small space. 

“Hey, Reyes. Enjoying your orientation so far?” Murphy inclines his head in greeting as he feeds his money into a soda machine. 

“Murphy, hi. Yeah, Sinclair has made it pretty interesting for a first day, plus I like the two guys who’re gonna be the other counselors in our department, so that’s a perk. You?” Raven smiles and turns to face Murphy, sipping her cold drink as he looks contemplative for a moment. 

“Kane’s been my advisor for years and he knows I can handle everything the kids throw at us by now, but there’s a new guy taking over the Art classes, and so far he’s kind of a pretentious dick. Our department is small like yours, which I normally like, but now I’m stuck with this jerk for the rest of the training. At least he’s not gonna be helping me with photography once camp gets started.”

“That’s too bad you’re stuck with someone you don’t like. Jasper and Monty are a riot, I’ll have to introduce you...” Raven’s voice trails off as she spots someone walking briskly up the hallway towards them. 

“Oh, no…” she whispers as her body tightens up with sudden stress, her stomach instantly nauseous. Raven takes a step sideways, intent on escape, but only succeeds in bumping into Murphy, who’s watching her now with a concerned look on his face when she almost drops her drink. He reaches for her elbow to steady her but she can’t even feel his touch, desperate to figure a way out of the imminent confrontation. She takes a deep breath, trying to calm her heart rate as she blinks back the frustrated tears that have started to gather, and then the last person she expected to see is standing in front of her, far too close. 

“Raven! I thought I heard your voice. Isn’t this a lucky coincidence, running into each other already. I thought it might take a while to find you but I guess fate had other ideas.” Finn Collins grins at her like he has not a care in the world and they should somehow be on friendly terms. 

“What are you _ doing _ here?” Raven chokes out, relieved to hear that at least her voice sounds angry and not frightened. 

Finn takes a step towards her and Raven instinctively tries to move away, but she’s forgotten how close Murphy is to her and quickly looks up at him in a panic when she realizes she’s boxed in. Murphy casually slings a relaxed arm around her shoulder and tucks her slightly behind him, taking a step forward to put himself closer to Finn and acting as a barrier. 

“What’s going on?” Murphy watches Raven for an answer but it’s Finn who replies. 

“Raven and I go way back, don’t we? I’m hoping we can get reacquainted this summer though, wouldn’t that be nice?” Finn’s eyes travel over Raven’s body, scowling at Murphy’s arm wrapped around her shoulder and she can’t help but shudder at the disturbing way he looks at her. 

“Stay away from me. You don’t get to talk to me and you leave me alone.” Despite her shock at seeing him, Raven is determined not to let Finn get the better of her, and with Murphy between them, it’s easier to make her demands sound more confident than she actually feels. 

Murphy looks back at Raven and seems to make a decision. “Go back to Kane’s office, Collins. Tell him I’ll be there in a minute.” He glares at Finn until Finn reluctantly turns to walk away, but not before raking his eyes down Raven’s body one more time. 

“So, I guess you’re already familiar with the pretentious dick that’s the new art counselor, huh?” Murphy raises his eyebrows at her and Raven can’t quite conjure a response other than a strangled groan. Murphy’s warm hand rubs her shoulder briefly before his arm lifts up and off her, leaving her feeling bereft at the loss of contact.

“I hope that was okay, but you looked like you could use some support. Come on, let me walk you back to Sinclair’s office. If you want, wait there for me when he dismisses you for lunch and I’ll walk with you to the dining room.”

“You don’t have to do that.” She wrings her hands together as they head down the hall, feeling embarrassed that he witnessed such an unexpected moment, but she's also grateful she wasn’t alone. 

Murphy’s eyes peer into hers, that blue gaze seeing more than she wants to reveal. “Raven, you did a decent job of hiding it in front of him, but I was looking at you when you first saw who was coming up the hallway. You were clearly scared. I’m not gonna leave you to deal with him by yourself after seeing that look on your face.”

Raven sighs heavily. She's angry with herself for it, but Murphy had it right - she _ was _ afraid of Finn. And his suggestion to walk her to lunch so she wouldn’t end up alone in the halls was actually a big relief, so she reaches out and lays her hand on Murphy’s arm, giving it a quick squeeze. “Thanks. I appreciate the offer and I’ll wait here for you.”

Monty and Jasper come barreling towards her then, so she opens Sinclair’s door for them as Murphy turns and walks away. 

*****

Murphy didn’t ask her any questions when she met him in the hallway, for which she was relieved, but she could tell he was judging whether she had recovered from the earlier incident. He must’ve decided she was fine, because he invited her to sit with him and a few of his friends for lunch without further comment. She managed to spot Clarke in the crowd and waved her over, and Raven found herself with Murphy on her right, Clarke across from her, and next to Clarke was Murphy’s friend, Bellamy. His younger sister, Octavia, and her new roommate, Harper, completed the group. Raven learned that Bellamy, Octavia and Harper were all lifeguards at the camp, and that Murphy and Bellamy had been friends since elementary school. 

She’s trying to pay attention to the chaotic conversations around her, especially because she thinks Clarke is actually trying to _ flirt _ with Bellamy, but her mind is spinning with the realization that Finn is actually at camp, and is a counselor at the same place she is… It’s so awful as to be almost unbelievable. She knows he did some digging in order to find out where she’d be all summer, and she wonders if she wasn’t careful enough and how he found out. Just the idea of how she’s going to be able to avoid him the entire time she’s here is giving her a headache, and she reaches up to rub her forehead in frustration. Clarke’s eyes have found hers a few times from across the table, and she knows Clarke is confused about what’s going on but is willing to stay quiet while they’re sitting with new people. Raven pokes at her salad and lets out a muffled groan, uncertain how she’s going to bring this up with Clarke, and even more worried about how she’s going to deal with the ramifications of Finn being at Camp Jaha. 

Murphy leans over and bumps Raven’s shoulder. “Are you gonna say something or me?”

Her eyes widen and she lowers her voice to avoid being heard by anyone else. “What, no! Nobody is saying anything, not you _or_ me! Got it?”

“Even _ I _ know that’s a bad idea, Raven. Some guy shows up here, who by the way, you are _ afraid of_, and you don’t wanna let other people know so they can help you avoid being alone with him? Yeah… That makes a lot of sense, you should stick with that plan.” Murphy’s sarcasm is a little thick but he’s not wrong, much to Raven’s chagrin. At least he kept his voice down while he confronted her about it. 

“I know, I know, I’m not making sense. This is a lot to take in, okay? I don’t even know what I’m gonna do yet. But I don’t want Clarke to be surprised like I was.” Raven can see understanding on Murphy’s face and she’s thankful all over again that he was there with her when she first encountered Finn. Raven glances over at Clarke and sees that Clarke is watching her and Murphy’s exchange with interest but also a little suspicion. 

“So, Clarke, I need to tell you about something that happened today, but you’re not going to like it.” Raven pauses as she tries to best consider how to share the news, but at Clarke’s panicked look, she just blurts out the rest. “Finn Collins is here as the art counselor.”

“WHAT?! Raven, are you serious?” Clarke practically leaps to her feet with indignation and Raven grabs her arm across the table, pulling her back down before she draws too much attention to their conversation. Raven sees that Murphy, Bellamy, Octavia and Harper are clearly intrigued by what’s happening but trying to be polite about it and it almost makes her laugh despite the rotten news she’s just delivered. 

“I am being serious. I don’t know how he found me, but he’s here and I gotta figure something out and I don’t even know where to start.” Her voice is unsteady, but she knows Clarke will understand. 

“No, Raven - _ we _ are gonna figure something out.” Clarke’s tone is comforting, her words instantly making Raven feel less alone. 

“So, who’s this Finn guy and why is he bad?” Octavia interjects, looking at Raven expectantly. 

Raven glances around the table, knowing that she might as well tell everyone. “Well, it’s a long story, but the short version is just this - I met Finn the summer after I graduated high school and we eventually started dating. Clarke was away most of that summer, so I spent most of my time with him. He was also headed to Stanford in the fall - we actually met during an incoming Freshmen event the school hosted. When Clarke and I started sharing a place that September, I finally got to introduce them, but around Halloween, Finn came over to our dorm and I wasn’t there when Clarke let him in. He ended up hitting on Clarke and trying to get her to go out with him, and when she told me about it, I broke up with him.”

Harper and Octavia groaned in solidarity, and Raven saw Murphy scowling with distaste. 

“Yeah,” Clarke spoke up, “but that was just the beginning. Finn wouldn’t take no for an answer and really started harassing Raven - showing up outside all her classes, pushing long letters underneath our door, calling her all night long, trying to talk to all our friends about her, he just wouldn’t leave her alone and he kept saying they were meant to be together. It got pretty creepy and Raven insisted we even had to change the locks for our place and she changed her phone number.”

“I started reporting things to campus security,” Raven added, “but we didn’t have a lot of evidence and I couldn’t prove he wrote and delivered all those letters. Plus, he was allowed to be in public spaces, so it felt like there wasn’t much I could do.”

“And in the meantime, Raven just spent more and more time in our dorm or only going to class.” Clarke shook her head sadly, and Raven could feel her cheeks heating up in embarrassment over how she had basically let Finn bully her into staying inside. 

“Anyway, eventually campus security managed to gather enough videotape to show that there was a pattern of him stalking me, and while nothing was ever formal, the school used that as leverage and _ gently encouraged _ Finn to transfer somewhere else for Sophomore year.”

“So,” Octavia interjected, “you started dating him last summer, but you had to put up with him the whole year of school?”

Raven nodded. “We only dated about three months before I broke up with him, but yeah, for the next six, seven months after that, he managed to make things pretty unbearable. I’m shocked he’s here - Clarke and I didn’t publicize what we’d be doing this summer, for this exact reason. I really tried to cover my tracks, so I don’t know how he found out where we’d be. Somehow he landed in the Art Department as a counselor. It’s going to be difficult, trying to avoid him when it’s a smaller space than our campus was. He’s definitely got a warped view that we should be together.” 

“We’ll all help you out, won’t we guys?” Octavia gestures to Bellamy, Harper and Murphy, and Raven can see their genuine concern. 

“Hey,” Harper suggests, “have you ever told this jerk you’re seeing someone else?” Raven shakes her head at her curiously and Harper continues. “You know, like when a guy asks you out and sometimes it’s easier to say you have a boyfriend instead of just saying no, because lots of guys will accept that you have a boyfriend but they’ll keep asking you out or bothering you if you only say no. Just that some guys might back off if they think you’re already taken or something.”

“Yeah, Harper, I see what you mean, but I don’t know if that would work on Finn. He’s pretty far gone for Raven.” Clarke chews thoughtfully. “You know, between us here and probably mine and Raven’s new bunkmates, and the two guys in your department, Raven, I bet we could do a pretty good job at making sure you’re not alone very often. Murphy, you’re in Finn’s art department with him? Do you think you could get a copy of his schedule?”

Murphy grins approvingly at Clarke. “That won’t be a problem. Kane’ll probably have that ready soon and I’ll get it.”

Bellamy has been quiet during the entire discussion but as he clears his throat, everyone turns his way. “We could report all this to the front office, Raven, and maybe Finn can be fired.”

“That’s our Bell, always being the Dad voice of reason!” Octavia teases. 

Raven considers the suggestion. “I feel like right now, with both of us being new to the camp, it would probably be a ‘he said, she said’ situation. The only proof I have of everything that happened is the letters, which aren’t here, and even then I can’t prove that Finn wrote them all or delivered them - I just _know_ that he did. I don’t want anything bad to happen, but maybe… if something does happen here at camp, then I can report something recent and hopefully someone else can back me up as a witness.”

Bellamy nods. “I’m sorry that happened to you and I’m sorry he’s here. Me, Murphy and Octavia have been coming to this camp since we were kids. This is O’s first year being a lifeguard, but this place is important to us. We’ve got a responsibility to that and the people who are here. I gotta ask both you and Clarke - how dangerous is this guy? Could he start causing trouble for other people?”

Raven swallows the lump in her throat and is relieved when Clarke responds first. “I think Finn is only focused on Raven. He can be scary but I don’t think he’s dangerous, exactly.”

Bellamy and Murphy regard Raven solemnly when she speaks up. “I don’t have any reason to think that he’s interested in anyone but me. I don’t think he will harm anyone else here.” 

Bellamy nods and seems to accept her response, but Murphy doesn’t look away. Raven tries to project confidence but she’s not sure Murphy is buying it. 

“So Operation Keep Raven Company is a go! Raven, you’re with Jasper in the computer department, right? I met him last night and he’s hilarious! I want to introduce Harper and I see him sitting at that table over there. Let’s go and say hi and then you can walk with him back to the afternoon session, okay?” Octavia is suddenly a blur of energy as she gets up to collect some of the lunch dishes and trash, placing them on her tray. 

Raven looks over at the table Octavia gestured towards. “Yes, that’s Jasper along with his friend, Monty. They’re both in the computer department with me. Clarke, I want to introduce you to them too, so let’s go over.” Raven turns to face the group before everyone starts to leave, smiling in appreciation at the group. “Thanks, everyone, for being so willing to help me out. I’m really grateful.”

The four young women make their way across the large dining room, leaving Murphy and Bellamy to gaze after them. Bellamy shakes his head at Murphy. “I shouldn’t be surprised, at this point, but how you manage to find trouble so quickly must be some kind of gift.”

“You know me,” Murphy grins, “I just can’t help myself.”

“At least trouble is looking awfully hot this time around, huh?” Bellamy arches his eyebrow in a knowing way. 

Murphy narrows his eyes but then seems to deflate a little. “Honestly, I think there’s more to the story than what we just heard. I mean, Bell, if you had seen her face when she first realized Collins was coming towards her… it was like she was just terrified. I already didn’t like this jerk from what I saw of him myself, but no one has a physical reaction like that without a very good reason. We gotta make sure he doesn’t get her alone somewhere, cause I think Raven could really be in trouble if he does.” Murphy shoots a worried look at the table where Raven had gone and his expression relaxes as he sees her laughing along with the others at the two guys sitting there. 

It was a good thing he knew a lot of people at the camp who could help keep an eye on her. And maybe it was also a good thing that he’d gotten stuck with Finn Collins in the art department after all. He considers everything he heard at the lunch table today and can’t resist a mischievous glance at Bellamy as he decides to rile up his best friend a little before they head back to the rest of their orientations. 

“Oh, and Bellamy? You’re welcome for the introduction to her blonde friend.” Murphy just manages to dodge the balled up napkin that Bellamy throws his way. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't have a posting schedule. I'm just gonna throw updates around like the chaotic fanfic writer I have become. Also, I can't believe summer is almost over! I'm busy getting my two kidlets prepped for school but I'm already missing Raven & Murphy. Clearly I wasn't fed well enough during S6 (ugh, none of us were!). As always, thank you to everyone who takes the time to comment & kudos!


	3. Chapter 3

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/170152452@N02/48799735831/in/dateposted-public/)

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Raven glances at the clock high on the wall in the Engineering classroom. Only an hour was left before the first day of orientation would be complete and all the counselors would be dismissed before dinner. Earlier, when she'd finished lunch, she'd walked back to Sinclair’s office with Jasper and Monty, then had spent most of the remainder of the afternoon in her new classroom sorting out supplies and organizing the space in preparation for the campers. Sinclair had split his time between her classroom and the computer lab across the hall, helping Raven, Jasper and Monty outline their classroom plans and find activities for the different age ranges and abilities of the campers with each scheduled activity. She was currently in the middle of sorting out a large box of metal components that the kids would be able to use to build robots and drones, and she allowed her mind to wander a bit as the process didn’t require much focus. 

She had felt so hopeful when she first arrived at camp yesterday, thinking about what a great summer it was going to be. It was frustrating to think that was going to be taken away from her by the presence of one person, but she knew that Finn could easily ruin the whole experience if he decided to be persistent. He had literally forced her to withdraw from almost every part of college life her Freshman year outside of going to class, simply because he had harassed her so much that she was too intimidated to leave their dorm for much else. At first she’d tried to ignore him, and then she’d been confrontational and combative when he just wouldn’t stop, but neither approach had worked. She was embarrassed about her decision to close herself away, but she had just felt so defeated that she couldn’t do anything to stop him from following her everywhere. And no authorities seemed to be able to help either unless she had a lot more proof than she did.

Sighing, she reminds herself that there’s no use focusing on it. Maybe it would be harder for Finn to go back to that routine since he’d be working in the art classroom. Sure, he’d have downtime, but if Murphy could get a copy of his schedule as he'd promised, then maybe it wouldn’t be too hard to avoid him this time around. She’d felt awkward telling everyone about the situation at lunch, but Clarke had always admonished her that it was never _ her _who should feel ashamed - it was Finn who should. Still, it had given her a warm feeling when Octavia had offered their help and they all had so readily agreed. Raven had made more friends in the first day of camp than she had her whole first year of college because of Finn. She thought about what a lucky chance it had been that she had met Murphy the night before, knowing that she may not have taken the time to speak with him at the soda machines otherwise, and that Finn could have caught her in the hallway alone if the timing had changed. Murphy had really gone above any normal expectation, not only managing to make Finn go away but inviting her to sit with him and his group at lunch. And his arm around her shoulder had boosted her own self-confidence, knowing that she wasn’t on her own in standing up to Finn. Raven had gotten out of practice with being friends with anyone other than Clarke, but already she knew that her promise to be more sociable this summer was proving to be the right choice. 

Raven's thoughts are interrupted with a noise near the hallway door, and assuming it's Sinclair back to check on her, she looks up with a happy smile on her face. To her utter dismay, Finn walks through, pulling the door closed behind him. 

“What are you doing here?” Raven demands, already uneasy. “I told you to leave me alone earlier and I mean it!”

“Don’t worry, Raven. I spoke with your adviser just now and let him know I’m an old friend from school who was just hoping for a quick word with you. He won’t bother us, but I had to see you. We were interrupted before but now we can talk, just the two of us.” Finn moves towards Raven confidently as she tries to step closer to the door, but he cuts off her access, leaving her trapped between him and one of the tall art counters where the students will work. 

As Finn creeps into her personal space, he reaches out and toys with the ends of Raven’s hair. “I’ve missed you so much. I don’t know why you had to end things, Raven - we’ve always been meant to be. But it’s okay because we’re here together now, and we won’t be separated again.”

Raven pulls back in disgust, turning her head, but Finn doesn’t let go, causing a sharp tug on her scalp. His other hand grabs her upper arm, his fingers digging into her skin as he tries to hold her still.

“Let go of me, now, or I _ will _scream.” Raven’s voice is cold, furious but it’s disturbing to see him smile in response to her harsh words. 

“Do you remember my letters? Do you remember what I told you in them?” Finn leans in close and breathes near Raven’s ear. “I don’t really want to do those things to you, but if you push me, Raven, you’re going to break my heart again. Don’t make me hurt you, please. I just want to go back to how we were before Clarke tore us apart. I think we should keep this just between _us_. It’s you I want. I want us to be together, and deep down, I know you do, too.”

Raven’s heart starts to race even faster. The letters from Finn had started out pleading with her to take him back, but they quickly turned darker when she hadn’t responded. Just like they had started out being pushed under the door to her dorm, but then one day, Raven had returned from class to find one on her bed. And that had been the day that she had told Clarke they needed to change their locks, knowing Finn had somehow gotten inside. She hadn’t wanted to scare Clarke then, and when she thought about it later, she knew she also hadn’t wanted to acknowledge it much to herself either, so she’d tried to put the incident out of her mind. But Finn mentioning Clarke now sent an even bigger shiver of fear through her. If he thought that Clarke was at fault for them breaking up, would he do something to her? When Bellamy had asked how dangerous Finn was, Raven knew he was capable of far worse than what Clarke might have assumed, but she _ always _ thought that she herself was the only target of his rage. 

Finn’s grip tightens on her arm while his other hand starts to stroke her from shoulder to elbow in a perversion of a comforting touch. “Raven, ever since you made that huge mistake and broke up with me, I’ve been watching you, making sure you were okay. You haven’t gone on any dates since me, you haven’t met anyone you want to be with - I’ve seen it, and I know that means you understand who you really belong to. You feel it, don’t you?”

“No, I’m not yours.” Raven spits. “You obviously weren’t paying close enough attention, because I do have a boyfriend who I’m madly in love with, and I never want to be with you again!” 

It’s a risk she’s taking, lying and deliberately making Finn angry, but maybe it’ll make him lose control enough to get loud or make a mistake so she can break his hold on her arm and get away. Raven’s eyes skitter quickly around the objects scattered on the table, looking for anything she can use to help her escape, but Finn grabs her hair at the base of her neck and holds her still, her head pulling back painfully as she’s forced to look up at him. 

“I don’t _ want _ to hurt you, Raven, but I will if I have to, and you’re making me feel _ very angry _ with you.” 

Raven recoils at the glint of madness in Finn’s eyes. She’d felt scared before, reading those letters he’d forced on her, but this, this was different. Something in Finn had snapped since the last time she’d seen him in person, and the way he looks at her now was nothing like how he’d been when they’d first met and started dating. The memory of how she’d used to think she was in love with him seems so long ago, almost like something she’d made up as a fantasy compared to the reality of what he was doing to her in this moment. Now she feels fear like ice water in her veins and she takes a deep shuddering breath, preparing to scream loud enough so maybe the guys across the hall will hear her, even through the closed door. 

But before she can get a sound out, her classroom door opens and to her surprise, Murphy walks in, the words he was about to say forgotten as his eyes take in the scene in front of him with one brief glance. Finn’s fingers clamp down at the interruption, both in her hair and on her arm, his grip even more bruising than before, but Raven barely notices due to the tremendous relief rushing through her at the thought of no longer being alone with Finn. 

“Get your fucking hands off her!” Murphy’s voice is low and dangerous as he hurriedly strides across the room towards them. 

A calculating look spreads over Finn’s face just before he pushes her forward, violently, and Raven stumbles, almost crashing to the hard floor before Murphy practically leaps across the space between them to reach out and catch her. As his arms close around her, steadying her balance, Finn takes advantage of the distraction and bolts to the door, giving Raven one last disturbing look. 

“This isn’t over, Raven. We’re not done.” 

And then he’s gone and it’s as if she can finally get some air into her lungs, but it’s not calm and easy, it’s more like she’s hyperventilating as everything that happened sinks in. 

“Raven! Raven, are you okay?” Murphy’s alarmed tone brings her focus back, the tension radiating off him as his eyes flicker over her in concern. 

She shakes her head wildly, tilting her chin to look up at him, eyes wide. “I don’t think I’ve ever been so relieved to see anybody in my whole life.” 

As soon as she speaks them aloud, the stark truth of her words hit hard, her eyes welling up with tears. She doesn’t know what Finn would have done next, if Murphy hadn’t shown up, but she knows it would have been bad. 

“Hey, hey, you’re safe now, you’re alright.” 

It’s not difficult to pick up on the fact that he’s deliberately gentling his voice, because the rigidity of his arms still wrapped around her waist tell a completely different story, but Raven appreciates the attempt all the same. Deciding to allow herself a moment of comfort, she rests her forehead near Murphy’s shoulder, letting the tears fall while concentrating on getting her breathing back to normal as her heart continues the frantic hammering Finn had set in motion. She feels Murphy’s chest rise and fall as he forces his own breath into a calmer pattern, and when the stiffness of his grip gradually lessens around her, she steels herself and takes a step back from his embrace. 

Although his arms fall away from around her middle when she moves, it’s a reprieve when he doesn’t let go completely, wrapping one hand in hers as she hastily wipes the tears off her face with the other before clearing her throat to speak. 

“Murphy. Saying thank you seems too small but _ thank you_.” Her voice is rough with sincerity and she hopes Murphy knows just how much she means it. “Why were you even here at my classroom?” 

He pulls her over to two of the tall stools near one of the art tables, gesturing for her to take a seat as he does the same. She tightens her fingers around his, not wanting to let go. He doesn’t seem inclined to release her, thankfully, and their hands connect them as they sit, knees bumping together as he studies her face carefully. 

“Kane came into the photography classroom and dismissed me for dinner. I didn’t see Finn and went towards The Ark. I figured you’d walk with the guys from your department, but I spotted them and you weren’t there. I asked where you were and they said that Sinclair had told them to go to dinner but that you were with a friend and would be along shortly. It's weird but I had a bad feeling about it so I turned around and came over here, just in case.” Murphy’s eyes get a stony glint in them as he holds her gaze. “And thank fuck I did. What the hell happened here, Raven? Let’s go to Jaha’s office right now and report that bastard so he’ll get kicked out and won’t bother you again!” He stands up, ready to walk towards the door, but she pulls back in resistance. 

“No, wait! Murphy… I have to think for a minute, please. Let me just think about this.”

“Raven, are you fucking kidding me?” He stares at her in shock and steps closer, crowding her knees where she’s still perched on the stool. It’s clear he’s agitated with her, and she can hear the underlying frustration and anger in his tone when he speaks again.

“Why do you need to think about anything? I saw him, I saw that asshole had his hands on you and he was _ hurting _ you and there’s not anything else to think about! For fucks sake, this was the second time _ today _ that I saw him scare the hell out of you and I’m sure as fuck not gonna let him do it a third time! Let’s go. We’re going to Jaha’s office _ now_.”

Murphy’s jaw clenches tightly and she can see he’s made up his mind, but she has to try again anyway, because he doesn’t know everything about it and she does. He’s looking at her intently and she tries to convince him with the truth, loosening her fingers to rub her thumb across his palm in an attempt to soothe him and make him listen.

“I know. I know I’m not making any sense about all this. You’re right about what you saw, he _ does _ scare me and he _ was _ hurting me. If you hadn’t come in here when you did, he would have done worse, I know it. But that’s just it - he’s worse than I thought.” She swallows the lump in her throat and hopes he won’t be upset with her over what she was about to reveal. “At lunch today, I lied about something. Clarke said she didn’t think Finn was dangerous, but I already knew he might be. But I promise, I only thought he might be more dangerous _ to me_, not to anybody else, I swear.” She sees a muscle tic in Murphy’s still-clenched jaw at her words, and she knows she’s not calming him down. If anything, she might be making things worse. 

“Just listen, Murphy, please! I’ll tell you everything, I honestly will. But Finn, he said some things to me when he came in here and now I think he might target Clarke if I don’t manage to completely get him out of our lives. And if I go to Jaha right now without some sort of plan, it’ll probably succeed in getting him kicked out of camp for the summer, but what’ll happen when Clarke and I go back to school? I didn’t have enough evidence already to get a restraining order against him for myself, and there’s no way I can keep him away from her, too. Please! Please don’t be mad, but I can’t let anything happen to her. I won’t go to Jaha about this until I know I can keep him away from me _ and _ Clarke.”

Raven slides off the stool, noticing the resolve in Murphy’s eyes is fading as her words make an impression. They’re standing close enough together that she can feel the warmth of his body, and a part of her thinks how nice it would be, to step into his embrace again and let someone else solve this problem, but that’s not who she is, however tempting it is to entertain the fantasy of it. 

She squeezes Murphy’s hand and starts to walk towards the classroom door. “We’re late for dinner and Clarke is gonna be worried about me. I need to go wash my face before we get there too, otherwise she’s gonna know I’ve been crying.”

This time it’s Murphy who stops her by planting himself firmly, and she turns to face him. She’s not sure what that look he gives her means, but his voice sounds resigned when it reaches her ears.

“Damn it, Raven. I don’t like this. Not one fucking bit of it. I’ll listen to you, but just for now, and I won’t take you to Jaha's office. But after dinner, you’re going to tell me everything, and I mean _ everything_, you got it? And I’m not going to promise you that I won’t tell someone, but I will promise you that you aren’t going to be dealing with this by yourself, okay?”

Impulsively, she throws her arms around his neck and leans up on her tiptoes, almost knocking Murphy off balance with her unexpected show of affection. But his arms encircle her easily and when she squeezes him just a bit more, his own arms grip tighter in response. She tries to put all her feelings of gratitude into the hug as she whispers in his ear, “Thanks, Murphy.”

When his hands rub gently up and down her back a few times before he releases her, she thinks he understands.

*****

After dinner, Raven walks up the path towards the counselor bunkhouses, only half listening to the chatter around her that comes mostly from Clarke and Bellamy, with Octavia, Harper, Jasper and Monty exuberant in the background. Murphy’s alongside her as they all discuss plans for what’s left of the evening, but he's just as silent as she is.

When she and Murphy had walked into The Ark’s dining room, thankfully not as late for dinner as she had feared, enough people were still milling around that their entrance wasn’t particularly noticeable. He had waited for her outside the bathroom in the hallway near her engineering classroom, and she’d scrubbed her face so that it wasn’t immediately clear she’d been crying. She was glad to see that Clarke had already been next to Bellamy, at the same table they had met Murphy’s friends at for lunch. She hadn’t realized it until she saw Clarke glance knowingly at her, eyebrows raised, but somewhere along the walk she and Murphy had clasped hands again and it was clear that Clarke, and Bellamy too, had both noticed. Raven had reluctantly let go, feeling her cheeks get a little warm, but she sat next to Murphy during the family-style salad and pasta dinner and tried to stay focused on the enthusiastic conversation going on. It hadn’t been easy with the encounter with Finn running on a loop in her brain, and she’d been distracted enough that she’d knocked over her water glass, though at least it had been mostly empty at the time. Murphy had reached over to pour her a refill from the pitcher, discreetly shifting his chair closer to her own to let his leg press against hers under the table. She decided not to think too hard about why such a simple touch made her feel so much calmer, but to just accept it and try to enjoy the rest of the meal. And so that’s what she had done. 

But now she knew Murphy would be wanting some answers, and despite how much he really deserved them, she couldn’t help feeling anxious about their discussion to come. She didn’t really have a solid plan yet, and she knew Murphy would try - and maybe even could succeed - to persuade her to do things his way instead. 

She looks over as Clarke sidles up next to her. “Hey! You’ve been quiet tonight. Everything okay?”

Raven tries to smile at her. “Yeah, I’m okay, just tired. It’s been a pretty long day, you know?”

Clarke rolls her eyes. “You think? And don’t for one minute imagine I’m going to let you off the hook tonight about Finn being here - we’ve gotta talk about that. I still can’t believe it! Listen, Bellamy said that the counselors can use the campfire circle down at the beach before the kids get here, so we’re all gonna meet down there in about an hour or two. I think I’m gonna take a shower and change before that - you wanna come with?”

Raven tilts her head, considering. She hopes it’s not obvious to Clarke, but she risks a glance to her right, where Murphy is doing a pretty good job of not looking like he’s eavesdropping. He must feel her eyes on him, because he gives a barely there shake of his head that she knows is intended for her, so she stuffs down a sigh and turns back to Clarke. 

“No, I think I’ll shower just before bed. I might take a quick nap but if you don’t see me in the bunk when you come back from the bathhouse, I’ll just meet you down at the beach, alright?”

Clarke nods in agreement and it’s not much longer until Cabin 10 comes into view. She lets Clarke go in first, then turns to see where Murphy heads off to. He gestures at the cabin right across from hers, Cabin 11, and she sees Bellamy walk up the steps too. Raven heads into her own bunk, and watches Clarke start to gather her shower supplies while Luna and Lexa are both relaxing on their beds. 

“Hey, guys! How was your first day at orientation?” Lexa sits up and leans forward, and the four women talk about who they’ve met and what Raven and Clarke think of everything so far, considering they’re the new counselors in the group.

Luna says that she’ll introduce them to Roan near the lake, and to make sure to come find her so they can chat. Raven can’t help but tease that Clarke probably wants to sit near Bellamy most of the night, and it’s worth the dirty look she gets when Clarke’s face turns bright red. Lexa and Luna just giggle, but then Clarke turns to face Raven with a wicked look in her eye. 

“You’re one to talk, Raven, considering you came to dinner on our _ second night _ holding hands with Murphy.” And with that, Clarke turns and smugly walks out of the bunk and towards the showers, leaving Luna and Lexa to stare at Raven expectantly for a response. 

Raven can feel herself heating up, Clarke's words of revenge definitely hitting her mark. Lexa laughs and thankfully doesn’t press things any further as she gets up, saying she’s off to meet Echo and that she’ll see them later at the bonfire. Raven watches her go, but she can feel Luna’s gaze on her back and reluctantly turns towards her. 

“Is that true? Were you holding hands with John Murphy?” And maybe it’s the lack of accusation in Luna’s tone, or the open vibe she puts off that makes her so easy to talk to, but Raven finds herself wanting to share. 

“We were… but it’s complicated.” Raven sighs, and moves to sit at the end of Luna’s bed. 

“John is a complicated guy, so that’s not surprising.” Luna smiles enigmatically. “He’s been coming to Camp Jaha for years, and this will be my third summer here alongside him. Maybe you could say I pay attention to people more than most, but I think I know enough about him to have an opinion.”

“You think he’s complicated?” Raven is curious - so far he’s been pretty straightforward to _ her_, but maybe she’s missing something, considering she’d only just met him the night before. 

Luna scrunches her forehead in thought. “Maybe a better way to put it is that he’s certainly complicated enough to put a lot of people off from trying to get to know him. But I like John and I can see that you like him too, so I don’t have to tell you that he’s a good person underneath that sarcastic exterior.”

Raven’s lips quirk up at Luna’s comment. Yes, he was a good guy, there was no doubt about that. He hadn’t hesitated at all when it came to helping her, and she knew that was a rarer trait than it should be. 

Luna reaches across the bed with her foot and nudges Raven’s leg. “If you like him, Raven, don’t be slow about it. The first year I was here, he had a girlfriend. Last year he didn’t seem to be with anyone in particular, but he wasn’t lacking for company, if you know what I mean. You and I are probably not the only ones who’ve wondered if that mouth is good for anything besides being rude.”

Raven gasps and then laughs out loud, shoving Luna’s leg back towards her. “That’s not… I mean… we’re not… We’ve only just met! We’re friendly, that’s all. I’m sure he doesn’t think of me like that.”

Luna just smiled mysteriously. Raven could deny it all she wanted, but Luna hadn’t been lying when she said that she paid attention to people more than most, and Raven’s expression when she’d mentioned John’s mouth had completely given her away. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can't believe summer is almost over! Also I'm still trying to think what direction they're taking S7 in and there's just so darn much up in the air... what do YOU think is going to happen, especially for our faves? I'm always up for speculation so share your ideas in the comments and maybe we'll crack the entire plotline! LOL!


	4. Chapter 4

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/170152452@N02/48573083147/in/dateposted-public/)

Raven goes outside after her chat with Luna, figuring she’ll spot Murphy somewhere so they can talk before the campfire, but she doesn’t expect him to be already waiting for her on the steps to his own cabin. When he sees her come out, he stands and meets her on the path that runs up the center of the counselors area before leading to the bathhouses farther up the hill. 

“Afraid I was going to make a run for it?” Raven asks sarcastically. 

“Did you want to?” Murphy tosses back at her, watching her closely. 

“No. Not really. I want to tell you, but this isn’t easy for me to talk about.” 

Murphy’s face softens in understanding at her words, and he lightly touches her elbow to direct her attention, gesturing off into the woods. 

“Come on. I’ve been exploring this place since I was ten, I know where we can go where no one will bother us, and it’s not that far.” 

They walk in comfortable silence, higher up the hill and then off to the left, not on any path though it’s obvious Murphy knows where he’s going. It’s darker beneath the trees, although not quite nighttime yet. She likes the shaded, cool and earthy feel of the surroundings as they go deeper into the forest. The air smells so clean here, and she takes a few deep breaths. Murphy must hear her, because he catches her eye and smiles. 

“It’s hard to go back to school after being here for the summer. I had no idea these kinds of places existed until I first came to camp, and now I can’t imagine life without being able to see this regularly.” Murphy looks around with a satisfied expression, and she knows just what he means, now that she’s seen it for herself. 

“Yeah, I didn’t expect to like the woods this much, but I do. Haven’t really had much experience with real wilderness before, but when you get away from the cabins and the lights, it almost feels like you could be in the past or in the future out here, doesn’t it?” Raven knows it sounds a little whimsical, but the beauty of the redwood forest almost makes her believe the stories about gnomes and fairies and talking foxes could be true. 

He pauses to stare at her for a moment, a speculative glint in his eye, leaving Raven curious as to what he might see when he looks at her. Eventually he clears his throat and they keep hiking until he nods towards a group of trees that stand on the edge of a clearing. “It’s there, where we’re headed.”

Raven can see that the forest thins out a good bit up ahead, leading to a wild meadow past the treeline. She can make out various wildflowers in the dwindling light, and it’s definitely got a different look than the ferns, pine and moss that make up the forest itself. Without the branches blocking the way, there’s a decent chunk of the sky visible above, and the stars have started to show up against the dusky background. 

“It’s beautiful here. You can see the sky really well even though you still feel like you’re in the woods!”

Murphy points up, his arm angled towards a sturdy tree that grows right along the edge of the meadow “It gets even better, look.”

Raven squints in the direction he shows her, spotting a small ledge built into the tree, quite a distance above the ground but big enough for sitting. She grins delightedly. “I’ve never been in a treehouse before!”

“Well, I don’t know if it’s fancy enough to be called a treehouse, but the view from up there is something special. Wait here while I climb up and make sure everything’s still sturdy from last summer. This is the first time I’m back to it and I don’t want either of us falling through anything that’s rotted.”

Murphy has to jump in order to reach a well-disguised peg that’s been hammered into the trunk of the tree at a spot higher than his head, and Raven catches a glimpse of the smooth skin on his lower back as his t-shirt and hoodie ride up with the movement. She watches, impressed as he uses his arms to pull himself up to the next peg, then places his feet on the pegs almost like ladder rungs until he’s at the ledge, boosting himself up onto the platform. 

A few minutes later he calls down over the edge. “Okay, looks good, just a little dusty. You can come up.”

She laughs as she stands next to the tree trunk, the peg well out of her reach. “Murphy! I’m not afraid to get dirty, but even with a jump, I can’t grab that first hand-hold! How am I supposed to get up there?”

“Oh, right! Hold on, I’ll come back down.” He quickly descends the tree, landing gracefully on the ground after leaping off the last peg. “I’ll give you a boost but you’ll have to pull yourself up from the first one to the second. I’ll be right behind you. And Raven - don’t look down!” He smirks and bends low, clasping his hands together with a tilt of his head to say he was ready. 

Rolling her eyes, she puts her foot into his hands as he lifts and when she’s close enough, she grasps the first peg with both hands. Lucky for her, Murphy's strong enough to push her higher than she expects so she’s able to reach the second peg without much effort, and then it’s easy going once her feet get involved. She senses Murphy below her as she climbs, but she resists looking down. The climb goes well until she gets to the last peg, and her arms aren’t long enough to reach the floor of the platform to pull herself up like he did. 

“Murphy - slight problem here. I can’t put my feet on the last peg because there’s nowhere for my hands to hold onto. My arms won't reach the platform.”

His voice drifts up from just a few pegs underneath her feet. “Okay, just smush yourself as close to the tree trunk as possible and turn your feet sideways on the pegs so there’s still a little room on the ends of them. They’re strong enough to hold us both but I’m gonna have to climb up on the outside of you for these last steps. Once I’m on the platform I can reach down and you can grab onto me and step on the last peg.”

“Smush myself to the tree? Murphy, that’s crazy! You could fall if you lose your footing and oh god, look how high we’re up already!”

“You looked down, didn’t you? I told you not to do that! It'll only make you nervous. I’ve been climbing these trees for years, and I built the first part of this treehouse when I was thirteen. I promise I can manage climbing over you for a few steps.” 

As he speaks, Murphy ascends closer and Raven does her best to flatten herself to the tree as much as possible. She feels him solid and warm at her back, his weight pushing her harder into the trunk as he tries to fit himself onto the thin edges of the rungs behind her own feet as his hands grip over hers on the pegs. She closes her eyes and sends up a brief mental prayer that he’s not going to slip, and then she can feel his breath at her ear as he’s flush against her, both his feet on the same pegs as hers for a brief moment. 

“Careful, Reyes. I might get the idea you’re worried about me.” It’s almost like a whisper across her neck but then a quick push from Murphy’s legs and he’s higher than she is, hands grasping the floor and pulling himself up to the ledge. A second later, he’s laying on the platform on his stomach, dangling his arms down for her, and it’s easier than she thought to grab his hands and trust him to pull her up. 

Once she’s there on the solid wood, on her hands and knees on the floor, she reaches over and punches Murphy on the arm, hard. “Jesus, you idiot! Of course I was worried! If you fell, I don’t even know how to get back to camp from here!”

Murphy just laughs and gestures out towards the open sky and meadow in front of them. “Don’t try to tell me this view wasn’t worth a little bit of trouble.” 

She lets her eyes follow his hand, and boy, he isn’t wrong. It’s gotten darker outside since their climb, and not only are the stars shining brighter, but it seems like there’s thousands of fireflies floating above the grassy meadow below them, all blinking on and off with their bio-luminescence in an incredible show of nature. 

“Wow,” she breathes, “that’s absolutely amazing!” 

She moves closer to the edge of the platform, a low railing made of branches in place to help prevent any accidental falls. The entire ledge itself is just wide enough to accommodate two, maybe three people and has the short railing around three of its sides. The back is protected by the large tree trunk, and a few thick branches arch up and around the space, meaning they both have to duck under if they plan to move. She hears rustling and turns to see that Murphy’s rooting around in a wooden box that’s nestled against the trunk. 

“I leave some stuff up here every year - flashlight, bug spray, here’s a cushion, blanket, notebook, my old hammer and saw, nails, some other junk. It’s nice to get away from everyone sometimes and just have quiet.”

“I can’t believe you built this! How did you even get all the stuff out here and then up the tree?”

“Let’s just say it didn’t all come together over one summer. I used to get in a lot of trouble for sneaking out of camp, but eventually Kane got exasperated and followed me. After he saw what I was doing, he actually scheduled some downtime in my schedule so I could come out here, as long as I told him where I was headed. It took a while, but it was worth it. Although I guess I’m gonna have to add a few new pegs to the tree so your short arms can actually make the climb.” He grins mockingly at her. 

“Hey! I’m almost as tall as you are, I just don’t have as long of a reach or as much practice as you do,” Raven explains. “Anyway, did I hear you say something about a cushion and a blanket? Pass ‘em over!” 

When he does, Raven shakes out the blanket and spreads it over the platform, propping the cushion against the trunk of the tree. She pats the floor to her left and tilts her head at Murphy. “Sit down with me and let’s watch the show for a little bit, then I’ll tell you what you want to know.”

They both lean their backs against the cushion, looking out towards the meadow below them and the open sky above, feet extended out towards the far railing. It’s a wonderful night, just slightly on the cool side, and the scent all around her is incredible - dirt and flowers and the crisp, clean air she’s starting to associate with the camp. She doesn’t think she’s seen anything so lovely before, and after she’s looked her fill, she turns towards Murphy. 

“Thank you for bringing me here. I’m always going to remember how beautiful this was.”

Murphy nods and moves to sit up, so she does the same, sliding around until she’s facing him. It’s hard to determine where to start but she figures he won’t hesitate to ask questions if he has any - she had promised to tell him _ everything_, after all. 

“Well, you’ve heard most of the story, I guess, and things weren’t very different than what Clarke and I said at lunch earlier. It’s just that I did leave a few things… out.” Despite the shadows all around them, she can still see Murphy’s face in the moonlight and he’s not looking pleased. 

“At first I tried ignoring Finn when he began following me around and showing up everywhere but eventually I lost my temper and yelled and generally caused a scene each time. Nothing seemed to deter him, and then notes and letters started getting slipped under my door. When they started, they were all about Finn trying to convince me to get back together, saying how everything was just a misunderstanding. But then, letters started showing up in my school bag or in my purse, with my coffee orders at the college cafe, all over - and I realized Finn was convincing other students to put them in there, like he was flirting with me or something instead of harassing me. Then the letters started to get… mean.” Raven swallows and takes a deep breath at the painful memories being stirred up. 

After a few beats of quiet, Murphy’s hand tentatively lands on her bare knee to reassure her, his warmth seeping into her skin. He squeezes briefly and it helps her continue. 

“Right. The letters were showing up all over and he was writing scary things about how he was going to hurt me if I didn’t start to listen and get back together with him. After it kept on without any signs of stopping, I took all the letters to campus security and they copied them and took a report from me, but they were typed and there wasn’t much they could do because I didn’t have proof they were from Finn other than _of course_ they were. But then it escalated further because one day I came home from class before Clarke, and in my room… It was pretty awful.” Raven’s fingers twine with his, still resting on her knee, but if she’s going to get this part out, she wants a little extra courage. 

“There were candles lit all over my bedroom, and my bed had rose petals covering it. All my things had been gone through, and some of my clothes were missing. There was a new letter propped on my pillow. It described his anger with ‘my behavior’, as he called it, and what he wanted to do to me as punishment if I had been home when he delivered it. It was very graphic and horrible. I didn’t even read the whole thing but it was more than enough to terrify me. He’d gotten into our apartment, my _room_, and it was like he was taunting me that he could do it any time he wanted. I felt even more violated after that. I didn’t tell Clarke about it because I didn’t want her to be as scared as I was, but the next day, I got security to change our locks and I changed my phone. I stashed pepper spray all over and I constantly checked that the windows were all locked. After that is when I started staying in our apartment more and more. I just didn’t feel safe going outside.” 

Raven risks a glance at Murphy’s face, glad to see anger there and not pity, but her voice hardens in frustration as she remembers. “And I thought that it would be over when Freshman year ended, with school finally pushing him into a transfer with the circumstantial evidence that I had, but it’s not and he’s _ here_! I thought I was so careful at covering up my summer plans! And everything’s even worse now because I think he believes that it’s Clarke’s fault that I dumped him so I’m worried for her too.”

His hand tightens around her fingers as he speaks insistently. “You know this isn’t your fault, right? You know that, don’t you, Raven?” 

Murphy sounds so certain of it, and she thinks he’s heard the things she couldn't bring herself to come right out and describe, but she can’t believe him no matter how much she wants to.

She pushes his hand off her knee, angry with herself and feeling undeserving of his comfort. “But it _ is_! It _ is _ my fault! If I hadn’t gone out with him, if I hadn’t felt so lonely that summer with Clarke gone, this never would have happened! I thought he was a good person! I thought he cared about me, but he hit on Clarke and sent me disgusting letters where he described over and over again how he wants to do terrible things to me so I’ll scream and bleed! How did I make such a big mistake? I should’ve seen it, I should’ve known!” 

And there they are, the thoughts that have been simmering under the surface of her emotions since all this first began. How Finn had managed to fool her so massively feels like such an incredible weight inside her, all the time. The guilt she feels, that this is her own fault, and that she failed so spectacularly in not seeing who Finn really was...She’s both relieved to finally get it all out and intensely nervous about what Murphy’s going to think of her now. 

“You wouldn't be in Sinclair's department if you weren't incredibly smart, but I'm getting the impression that you can also be really dense.” Murphy admonishes her, reaching out and gently turning her chin forward, forcing her to look him in the eye. She chokes out a broken sound that might be a sob or could be a laugh, she isn’t even sure.

“Pay attention, Raven. What Finn did, what he keeps doing, is _ not _ your fault. You don’t get to own that. You don’t get to take responsibility for it because it’s not yours. Was it Clarke’s fault that he hit on her?”

“What? No, of course not!” Raven gasps. “She would never have wanted him to do that.”

“See, that’s what I mean - you being dense. Clarke didn’t want Finn to flirt with her, just like you never wanted any of this to happen either. You tell yourself that you should have known better, but that’s not true. You couldn’t have known better because Finn’s the bad guy here. Good people are taken in by bad people all the time, because that’s just how the world works. You didn’t know, and you couldn’t have known because he started out nice. As soon as he wasn’t nice - when he hit on your best friend - you listened to your gut and ended it. What he did after that hurts and it sucks but _ it’s not your fault_.” 

As he’s talking, she can feel the truth of his words settle on her, her eyes filling with tears again, but this time she thinks it might be with relief. 

“When you put it like that, I guess I do sound kind of dumb,” she eventually concedes, soothed by the sincerity in his blue gaze. 

“Pretty dumb.” Murphy gently wipes away a tear from her cheek before he abruptly pulls his hand back, gesturing to the cushion leaning against the tree as his eyes skitter away from hers. “Now that we’ve got that out of the way, go on and tell me what your new plan is that I’m already prepared to hate.”

“How’d you know I have a plan?” Raven wonders, her cheek hot from where he’d touched her and her head spinning at both the subject change and the way he'd made her see that she shouldn't be punishing herself when she _had_ ended things as soon as she'd noticed trouble. The relief she's experiencing for simply being told it wasn't her fault was overwhelming, and she wipes quickly at her eyes, wanting Murphy to know he had made her feel better. 

“Seriously? We may only have known each other about a day, but even I can figure out that if you don’t have a plan at first, I should just give you five minutes and then ask again.” 

And even though it’s dark, she can’t miss the wink he gives her, especially because it sends a flock of butterflies to her stomach in response. 

She crawls closer to the tree trunk, leaning her back against it, and concentrates on how to tell Murphy her plan instead of thinking about what those butterflies might mean. “So… I don’t think you’re going to like this idea, but you promise to hear me out?” 

“I’ll listen,” he growls, “but I’m not making any promises that I’ll follow it.”

She rolls her eyes. “Look, it may not be the best plan but it’ll get the job done. So the way I see it, the best way to get Finn away from me and Clarke is to actually get him arrested. It’s just not enough to get him kicked out of this camp or even kicked out of a particular school. He’s already proven he’ll just keep trying to get near me. But if he gets arrested, I can probably get a restraining order against him and he could end up in jail for a while, and there’s a much better chance I can get the authorities to understand that he’s a threat to Clarke too.”

“Raven…” Murphy turns his head to glare at her. “This is already a shit plan.”

“I know but I’m not done! Stop interrupting! In the classroom today he was saying the typical crap he spews about how I’m meant to be with him and how he doesn’t _ want _ to hurt me, but then he added something new. He said how he’d been watching me this whole time and he saw that I hadn’t met anyone else or gone on any dates, which he said made it clear that I knew I was supposed to be with him. That’s incredibly creepy, by the way, that he’s been _ watching _ me enough to know I haven’t been on any dates, but it made me think about what Harper said at lunch - about how maybe I should have told him that I was with someone else. So I lied and said that I had a boyfriend that I was in love with and he got really, really furious. I _wanted_ to make him mad though, make him make a mistake so I could get loose. I was so desperate to get away that I would have done anything! That was right before you came in.”

“No. We’re not doing this plan, no. Think of something else.” Murphy emphatically shakes his head. 

“No, this could work! I mean it! There’s no other plan and you know it! We’ve gotta catch him doing something bad enough to have serious repercussions, otherwise this could just keep happening over and over again and I can’t keep living like this.” Raven leans her head back onto the tree trunk, her voice weary when she continues. “I’m so tired of it, of being afraid and not having a life besides classes. I want friends, I want a social life back, and I want to stop being scared all the time when I go outside. Just keep listening, okay?”

She sees him nod, reluctant, and quickly continues before he changes his mind. “Finn was outraged at just the idea of me having a boyfriend that’s not him, so what if I take it a step farther and actually let him see me with someone while we’re here - let him believe that there _ is _ someone else, and maybe that pushes him into doing something more publicly, or something that I would have witnesses for that could show he’s capable of harming me. And I guess there’s the really small possibility that maybe he’d just move on, but I don’t think that’s going to happen… Maybe it’s crazy, because I know I was really fucking scared today, but if he had hit me, at least I’d have some evidence and maybe this could be finally _ done_, you know?”

“This is the part of the plan I really don’t like. I get that you’re his target, so you’re gonna be in danger from him no matter what, but antagonizing him when we already know that he’s capable of some horrible shit has the very real possibility of blowing up in our faces. He could seriously hurt you, Raven."

Raven sits up and pulls his arm closer, tugging on his hand to make her point. “But that’s the thing! We’ll have his schedule, so we can plan in advance and be a bit prepared. We’ll be able to control the location most of the time and how many people are around. If he does try to stalk me by avoiding a shift or curfew, that’s something else that can be used against him. It’s not perfect, I know. And it's not like I _want_ him to hurt me. But I haven’t been able to think of anything else.”

She watches as Murphy pushes a hand through his hair, blowing off some frustration. “I can’t think of anything better either, with the end goal of trying to get him arrested, anyway. I’ll keep thinking about it though, and maybe something else will occur to one of us...” Murphy trails off, his thumb lazily rubbing over her wrist. 

A shiver runs through her, and Raven would like to blame the chill in the air rather than Murphy’s touch, but she knows she's lying to herself. And he may not know the true reason for it, but Murphy notices her shudder too, unzipping his hoodie and taking it off to hold it out to her in a move that she refuses to let charm her. 

“Here. I should have told you to bring one. I forgot you’re not used to the nights around here yet. It’ll be warmer down at the beach campfire but the walk there will be cool. Alright, let’s just say this terrible plan _is_ the plan for now. Do you want to take a couple days to figure out who you’re gonna ask to be your stand-in boyfriend? Do you want to tell everybody in the group about it or just a few people?”

Raven slides the sweatshirt on, enjoying the heat leftover from Murphy’s body as she discreetly tries to burrow her nose into the fabric because it smells so nice, when Murphy’s question registers. “Wait, what? No! I don’t need any time. I was kind of hoping _ you _ would be my fake boyfriend.”

“Me? Oh, I... I mean, I don’t even know what a fake boyfriend is supposed to do.” Murphy sputters. 

“Fake boyfriends do the same thing as real boyfriends - we’d have to spend time together, sit together, be affectionate or hold hands… normal stuff like that. But, if you don’t want to, or wait, oh, I didn’t even ask you - maybe you have a girlfriend?” Raven nervously plays with the zipper on Murphy’s hoodie, realizing she made an assumption. 

“No, no. I don’t have a girlfriend. But, Raven, there’s no telling how long you might have to put on this show, if Finn doesn’t take the bait right away. You could be stuck with me most of the summer - what if you want to have a real date or something?” He’s looking concerned but Raven waves her hand dismissively, relieved. 

“I don’t care about that. My priority right now is to get Finn out of my life. And besides, we’re friends already aren’t we? I _ like _ hanging out with you even though you can be such a smartass. You already know what you’d be getting into if you agreed to this at least… And I know it’s selfish of me, Murphy, of course you can say no, but I feel more confident when you’re around because you’ve already been helping me so much with this entire situation. So what do you say? You wanna be my fake boyfriend so we can partner up and get rid of an awful, dangerous stalker and prevent him from sucking the remaining sanity from the brave and genius heroine?”

“Oh, well, if that’s how it is, who could say no?” Murphy deadpans. “What the hell, I’ll be your fake boyfriend.” 

Raven practically vibrates with satisfaction, a triumphant smile on her face, but Murphy interrupts, holding up a hand. 

“Before you think you’ve totally won, there’s a few things I’m not gonna compromise on if I do this, you got me? First, you’ve got to be one hundred percent honest with me during this whole charade. I mean it - no secret plans or ideas, you’ve got to tell me about everything and if I think it’s a horrible idea, I get to veto it. You don’t get to throw yourself into trouble just because you think you see an opportunity, alright?”

Raven nods thoughtfully. “Yeah, I see your point. We’re in it together. I’ll tell you what I’m thinking before I act on it.”

“Okay, good. Regardless of what you want anyone else to know about this, I want to tell Bellamy the full truth about Finn and what this whole plan consists of.” 

She shakes her head. “I don’t know about that, Murphy. What if he tells Clarke? I don’t want her mixed up in this right now. I know her - she’s just going to worry and try to get involved, and I don’t want this summer to be about that for her. She wants to do a good job in the infirmary and maybe get invited back next year, plus if she knows what we’re trying to do, she’ll try to talk me out of it.”

Murphy considers for a moment. “Fine. I’ll tell Bellamy but only on the condition that he keeps it a secret from Clarke.” Murphy ticks off on his fingers as he makes his point. “Look at it from my perspective - one, if you’re right that Finn might target Clarke in any way, then she needs to have someone looking out for her who knows about it. Two, your best friend and my best friend are clearly interested in each other, so Bellamy can do that. Three, if something goes disastrously wrong, and jesus it sure the fuck could, then Bellamy will at least know that we might need some help. And four, Finn is dangerous enough that even if you, and possibly Clarke, are his only focus, Bell would never forgive me if something happened to anyone else here at camp because I didn’t share what he’s capable of, and I wouldn't be feeling too good about myself either.”

“Alright.” Raven agrees. 

“Wait, really?” Murphy looks at her askance. “I thought I’d get more pushback on that.”

She rolls her eyes. “Despite being right, like ninety-seven percent of the time, I can admit that sometimes other people have a more valid point than I do.”

“Reyes, I think that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.” And the smirk that’s beginning to be familiar to her so quickly flits across his face as she laughs at his comment, feeling lighter than she has in ages. 

“Come on, we can work out the rest of the details on our solidly crappy plan as we head over to the beach. Let’s figure out how we’re going to get you down.” Murphy tosses the cushion back into the wooden box and when he moves off the blanket, she folds it up so he can stow it away too. 

They spend a few minutes discussing their options on climbing down, knowing that Raven doesn’t have a long enough reach to get to the top peg from the platform by herself. Eventually they decide Murphy will go out first and then she’ll slide off the floor on her stomach, allowing him to grab her and lower her to the same peg he’s on. It sounds good in theory, but in reality, she’s a nervous wreck, dangling from the ledge with Murphy below her until she's close enough so he can wrap his arm securely around her hips. 

“This is the part where you let go, Raven.” He reminds her in a smug tone. “I’ve got you and you’re not going to die, so stop thinking about it. Both my feet are solid and all you have to do is let go and I’ll pull you down to one of the pegs. You’re supposed to trust your fake boyfriend, right?”

“Ugh, you’re going to keep using that against me, aren’t you? Okay, okay, I’m letting go.” She feels Murphy’s arm slip up her body at the same time she slides downward, and almost to her disbelief, her descent is very controlled until she’s tucked against the tree with him solid behind her, his arm still around her waist as he tells her to feel around with her feet for the peg. 

“I think my legs are complete jello, are you kidding? Don’t let go yet - that was scarier than I thought it would be.” Raven tilts her forehead forward onto the tree trunk, taking a few bracing deep breaths as his body heat warms the air around her. 

“I won’t let go til you’re ready. Just say when.” 

Eventually she feels steady, and they make their way down uneventfully after that, Murphy climbing beneath her until she hears him drop to the ground after the last foothold. 

When she gets there herself, she calls down to him. “You’re gonna catch me when I let go, right?” 

Murphy laughs, telling her just to drop straight down. She does as instructed and he’s there to grab her and make sure she doesn’t stumble. 

“You know, that view was worth it, but I’m really glad I didn’t know what I was in for beforehand.” She looks up at the ledge, glad to be on firm ground again. 

“You were a good sport about it. Have to say I never really considered how anybody else would get up and down since I built it only with what worked for me in mind. Nobody else has ever been up there, as far as I know anyway.”

He reaches out, trailing his hand from her shoulder to her upper arm, giving her a playful push towards their cabins, though she can’t help but wince as he accidentally grazes the bruise that Finn caused earlier. He notices her discomfort with an apologetic expression, grabbing her hand instead, and they make their way carefully through the now dark forest while Raven spends most of the walk wondering why Murphy was willing to show her his treehouse after years of keeping it private.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a summer cold, ugh! My throat is sore, I can't breathe through one nostril and I only got about 300 words written on a one-shot I'm doing for a fandom event - VERY unlike me. One perk of being married is that you get to send someone else out for chicken soup though, so there is that. Anyway, I'm having a poor me moment, but I hope YOU are having a good day!


	5. Chapter 5

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/170152452@N02/48799735831/in/dateposted-public/)

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/170152452@N02/48573083147/in/dateposted-public/)

As they walk past The Ark and the main part of Camp Jaha referred to as the Town Square, there aren’t many people around, but those who are seem to be making their way to the beach. The area held a lot of the activity centers, including the building that housed her own Engineering classroom, and an outdoor stage and basketball court. Spread out in front of them, farther down the slope, was the wide expanse of the lake, with the docks, boathouse and showers off to the left. Raven can see the light of the campfire in the distance, set up on the sandy shore, but Murphy was tugging her closer to the path on the right, which went around the far side of the lake and ended in a cluster of trees.

“We have a quick stop to make first. The Arts Pavilion is this way.” Murphy explains.

Raven follows in silence. She snuggles deeper into Murphy’s hoodie, grateful to have the extra warmth. She hadn’t changed out of her shorts and t-shirt from earlier and after night fell, the temperature had gotten much cooler. As they got closer to the lake, there was an even bigger drop in the air. When they approach the Arts Pavilion, Murphy reaches under his shirt, pulling a chain over his head that held a couple of keys. He uses one to open a side door and ushers her inside.

“Wait here while I get one of the lights.”

Murphy flicks on a desk lamp at the side of the room, and Raven takes in her surroundings. Clearly they were in Murphy’s photography classroom as there were framed photos all over the walls, along with camera tutorials and a display of old and new cameras set up on some shelves. Murphy walks over to a corner with a few lockers and uses another key to open one.

“Come over to the desk in the light. This locker is just cameras that belong to me. I’m gonna use my smaller digital one and I want to take a picture of your arm. It’ll put a timestamp on it in case we need it for evidence or something.”

“That’s a great idea, Murphy, thanks. Maybe we should do another one tomorrow or the day after, because I have a feeling the bruise is going to get worse before it gets better. It’s pretty sore already.” Raven unzips the hoodie and pulls her arm out of the sleeve, the handprint shape where Finn had grabbed her so painfully already turned a darker color under the skin on her bicep.

Murphy gently tilts her arm towards the light and takes a few photos, and when he’s finished she hears him sigh as he turns off the camera, setting off alarm bells inside her that he’s rethinking her whole plan.

“Murphy, no, don’t go changing your mind on me! You’ve got that this-is-a-bad-idea-and-I’m-not-gonna-do-it look on your face.”

He turns around and stares at her exasperatedly. “Honestly, that look has probably been on my face since we met, because you keep convincing me to do stuff! And it is a bad idea, no doubt in my mind. I’m probably going to reconsider it every ten minutes, and in between that will be moments where I think about how much easier everything would be if I just broke both of Finn’s arms so he couldn’t touch you or anybody else. But instead I’m gonna have to finish orientation with him and bite my tongue. And in case you aren’t aware yet, Raven, that’s not my strong suit.” Murphy’s frustration is almost palpable, and Raven wonders how best to calm him down.

“I know that I’m asking a lot from you.” Raven slides to the edge of the desk, watching as he puts his camera away. “I’m so furious about all this that I feel like I can’t see straight. I hate feeling vulnerable, I hate that he’s stronger than me and I can’t overpower him. I hate that we’re playing by rules and he’s not. And I really hate that just when I start to relax, he’s back and not just causing trouble for me, but now my friends too. If you decide that you need to back out of this, I’ll understand.”

“Hey, no, that’s not what I mean at all.” Murphy’s tone is firm as he leans on the desk next to her and nudges her shoulder with his own. “Yeah, it’s going to be hard for me to play nice when you’re not around, but the whole point is that we have to keep him away from you, not have him get a restraining order from me, so I’m gonna control myself and behave even if I don’t like it. I told you before you’re not alone in this and I meant it. You’re stuck with me now.”

“Well, lucky for me, then.” Raven nudges him back and hops down from the desk. “Come on, let’s go down to the beach and make it look like we’re dating. I’m super out of practice so if I do something ridiculous, just go with it.”

“Okay, but I don’t know what would be more ridiculous than the pretend plan we’re already trying to pull off.” Murphy turns the light out and walks beside her to the door so he can lock up.

“You know, if anybody could pull off ‘more ridiculous’, I think it could be you and me.” Raven laughs as they make their way back across the lake.

*****

The bonfire is in full swing by the time they arrive, and from the looks of it, almost every counselor is in attendance although Raven hasn’t glimpsed Finn yet. Everyone’s mingling and there’s some sodas and snacks, and the lake looks amazing reflecting the light from the immense fire.

Murphy stops to grab them both a water bottle, and she can’t help but tease him. “Look at this, already such an attentive boyfriend!”

He gives her an aggrieved head shake. “Really? Is this how it’s going to be the whole time?”

Raven bats her eyes dramatically. “Only for as long as it annoys you, sweetie.” And she softens it with a grin and gestures across the sand. “Look, there’s a bunch of people we know, let’s go over.”

They join their friends, occupying a warm spot not far from the fire, and Murphy introduces her to another roommate of his, Miller, who can’t take his eyes off of Monty. And Harper, Octavia and Maya, the girl she and Clarke had met at dinner the first night, are being entertained by Jasper’s shenanigans. Octavia leans over and whispers that Clarke and Bellamy had gone for a walk around the lake, which makes Raven happy for her friend. She knew Clarke had been trying to flirt with him!

While they’re standing around listening to some of the lifeguards in the group talk about how their orientation has been going, Murphy slings his arm across her shoulders and leans down to speak privately. “Operation Fake Boyfriend is officially a go. Have you seen Collins anywhere around?”

She shakes her head. “I haven’t, and I’ve been watching for him. You don’t happen to know who any of his roommates are yet, do you? Maybe he’d be hanging out with them.”

Murphy shrugs but they’re interrupted as Luna and Lexa walk over, followed by two others. Luna greets Murphy with a hug, which he returns affectionately although he doesn’t release Raven, and Luna introduces her boyfriend Roan, who is also Murphy’s last roommate. Roan is a big man with an even bigger personality, and Raven secretly thinks it’s adorable that Luna and her calm nature seem to fit together with someone so boisterous.

Lexa then introduces Raven to her girlfriend, Echo, who already knows Murphy from previous years at Camp, and they explain that they both are on the same championship fencing team with Roan at OSU. They get caught up talking about college and majors for a while, which turns into Echo and Roan getting into a heated political debate that Lexa tries to moderate, as they’re all Poli-Sci majors, and Luna smothers a laugh and moves closer to Raven and Murphy.

“This happens all the time, I don’t think they can help themselves. Honestly, someday the three of them are either going to take over the world or end it. I think Lexa and Echo actually consider their arguments to be foreplay, and Roan likes to rile everyone up regardless of the conversation. It’s all in good fun though.” Luna smiles and catches Raven’s eye, discreetly raising her eyebrow at Murphy’s arm around her shoulders. “I think I’m going to take advantage of Roan being distracted and go get another brownie. Raven, John, do you guys want anything?”

“No, Luna, but thanks.” Raven answers, and Murphy’s shakes his head too, and as Luna walks off, he speaks quietly again, meant just for her.

“I think that was Luna’s way of giving us alone time.”

“Oh, you picked up on that, did you?” Raven teases. “I’m so happy she’s one of my roommates this summer. Did you know I met her that first night too, she got the same number table that I did so we got to talk. Must have been my night - I met her, Jasper and you. I feel funny not being honest with her, though. She’s got that kind of personality where she makes you want to tell her everything.”

“Here, look, one of the logs by the fire just opened up, let’s grab it.” Murphy leads her over and they both lower themselves to the log, his arm still keeping her close. “Listen, you said you don’t want to tell Clarke the truth, at least right now, anyway. So if you want to tell Luna what’s going on, I have no problem with that. I’ve known her a few years and she’s a good friend, even though she refuses to use anything but my first name. And yeah, she does have that look-into-my-eyes-and-I-can-see-your-soul quality about her. It’s kind of freaky.”

She laughs at his over-dramatic but somehow still apt comment. “I have a feeling that although she looks all soothing and Earth Mother on the outside, best watch out if you get on her bad side! Maybe that’s why…” Raven abruptly stops speaking and Murphy feels her shoulders tense.

“Finn has made an entrance. Last chance to back out on me, Murphy. Are you positive you’re fully in on this plan?”

“Do you even listen when I speak? I already-” Murphy’s words get cut off as Raven shifts forward, pressing her mouth to his and preventing him from finishing his sentence.

Her kiss is hesitant at first, and she isn’t sure how far to take it, considering she’s out of practice and has never kissed anyone in a sham-relationship capacity before, but then Murphy starts to reciprocate and it’s - it’s like her brain is shorting out. His lips slanting over hers sets off a buzzing sensation just under her skin, the jolt of it making her hum in surprise. His arm tightens around her shoulders and pulls her closer, and she goes willingly, resting her hand just above his knee to help keep her balance as she leans into him. It’s easy to admit to herself that she expected she'd enjoy kissing Murphy during this dating charade, because she’d definitely thought about what it would be like before she pitched her plan to him, but ‘enjoying it’ was such a naive perspective compared to the reality of what this first kiss was currently doing to her.

Murphy’s free hand reaches up and cups the side of her face, tilting her head to the side so his lips can trail down over her cheek, his breath husky across her ear. “Is he watching?”

Raven opens her dazed eyes and struggles to focus on what Murphy is asking. How the hell he can speak coherently right now is beyond her, when all she can do is try to hold tight to her self-control and refrain from crawling into his lap to lick her tongue up into his mouth. And honestly, that doesn’t seem very fair, come to think of it. She might be out of practice, but just-like-that her libido has awakened again, and if he wasn’t as affected as she was, well, she’d just have to do something about that. She lifts her hand off his leg, bringing it up to run through the hair above his ear, pulling him closer as she nuzzles along his jaw, and when she sucks his earlobe between her lips she’s rewarded for her efforts with a soft groan. Raven smiles, letting her teeth graze over his sensitized flesh before surreptitiously flicking her eyes over to where she had first seen Finn.

“He’s watching, and he looks absolutely furious. He’s still for now, not moving towards us.”

The hand he has on her cheek slides down and wraps around the back of her neck, exerting gentle pressure until her head tilts upright and his lips are close enough to hers that they brush together when he speaks. “Guess we should give him a good show then.”

At that, his mouth captures hers in another delicious kiss, and there it is again, that undeniable tug of want.

She’s caught up in the exhilaration of kissing Murphy, and every press and pull, every suck and sweep of his lips over hers only serves to drag her more deeply under. It’s so easy to forget everything when he’s kissing her like this and she can’t bring herself to care about why he’s doing it, how Finn is responding or even that they’ve got absolutely no privacy sitting around the bonfire like they are. All she can care about is wanting more of what he’s giving her and the driving need to get closer.

Suddenly, a particularly loud pop from one of the fat logs in the fire is noisy enough to disrupt her thoughts, and she breaks the kiss hastily, brought back to reality. Raven shifts back slightly from the circle of Murphy’s arms to look up at him, and despite her own cloudy vision, she can see that Murphy’s blue eyes have darkened to a deep indigo as he regards her intensely. She licks her lips, frantically searching for something casual to say, all the while aware that his gaze is following her movements.

When she hears Clarke calling her name from just up the beach, it’s a mix of relief and frustration that floods her, and she misses the closeness of Murphy’s body as he discreetly moves away until they’re no longer touching. She feels chilly at the loss but arranges a smile on her face and looks in the direction that Clarke and Bellamy are approaching. Just before they reach the log she and Murphy are sitting on, Murphy takes her hand in his, making her smile so much more genuine.

“Raven! There you are! I was looking for you earlier!” Clarke drops down onto the sand beside her and it’s clear she’s there to stay. Bellamy walks over to Murphy and the rest of their time at the bonfire is spent in familiar conversation, though at multiple points she sees Murphy scanning the crowd and realizes he’s looking for Finn, all while his hand stays warm and firm in hers.

*****

Later that night, Raven’s in her bunkhouse getting her pajamas and favorite purple robe together so she can head to the showers. She tried to walk back to the cabins with Murphy so they could talk, but most of their friends had left the bonfire around the same time they had, making the atmosphere around them chaotic and loud, so all she managed was a few desperate glances his way. They only had a few more days of orientation, and then the campers would arrive and everyone would have varied schedules, so they were all trying to make plans while they could.

Despite wanting to speak to Murphy, she still hadn’t worked out exactly what she’d like to say to him. That kiss had just been so much more than she’d thought possible, and she hadn’t even remembered to watch for Finn’s response to it until she had seen Murphy look around for him. Kissing him didn’t just distract her from the plan, it had made her forget that the kiss wasn’t even supposed to be real.

Sighing, she walks down the cabin steps before Clarke tries to confront her about what she’d seen on the beach, spotting two other girls heading towards the bath house with supplies and falling in with them in order to not be on her own. She spends the entire duration of her shower trying to figure out how she’ll handle her next interaction with Murphy, but the only thing she’s resolute about is that she’s definitely not going to let herself get so caught up from a simple kiss. Probably it only happened because she’d had a drought, she told herself. The next time they touched, remaining casual wouldn’t be so difficult.

And that might’ve been easier for her to believe if it wasn’t for the fact that when she crawls under her covers, she stares unblinking at the ceiling, awake a long time and thinking about how those kisses made her feel.

*****

The next morning at breakfast, Murphy looks on, disappointed, as Clarke determinedly steers Raven across the dining hall to a table for two, making him wonder if Raven was going to get grilled about the kissing the two of them had done the night before. There was no way Clarke and Bellamy had missed it. Hell, probably no one at the campfire had missed it, and the thought sends a possessive prickle through him that he absolutely doesn’t want to dive into, especially when he considers the time he spent thinking about Raven before falling asleep last night and the subsequent dreams he’d had of her after.

Bellamy slides in across from him, grinning evilly as he jerks his head towards Raven and Clarke, irritatingly demanding Murphy’s attention away from Raven’s lips.

“So, you gonna tell me what the hell’s going on between you two, or should I just tune in for the next hot public makeout session?”

Glaring at his friend, Murphy glances sideways at the rest of the table, relieved to note that Octavia and Harper are engrossed enough in their own morning conversation with Monty and Jasper to be paying any attention to his.

“It’s not what you think,” Murphy begins, but Bellamy mockingly interrupts.

“Oh, right. Well, I think the two of you couldn’t keep your hands off each other. And I think you were making it clear to everyone else that you’re definitely an item, because it sure looked like you were staking a claim to me. Clarke and I could see you both as we were walking up to the bonfire, and I gotta say, Murph, never seen a girl get to you this fast before.”

“You have no idea,” Murphy mutters, well aware Raven is under his skin in more ways than one. He’d had to concentrate doggedly on the reason they were kissing last night, scarcely able to tear his mouth away from hers to focus on whether Finn had been paying attention to what they were doing. He knew when she proposed this crazy idea that it would be tough to pull off, even beyond all of the potential problems he’d pointed out to her. It was going to be difficult because he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her since the night they’d met, and each day since she’d only drawn him in deeper and complicated his feelings further.

“So explain it to me then,” Bellamy tells him, as if Murphy’s emotions were anywhere near being simple and describable.

“Hurry up and finish your food. We’ll go for a quick walk and I’ll fill you in. I’ve got the early town trip today so I can’t linger.”

Half an hour later, Murphy’s in the Arts Pavilion, setting up more of the darkroom before he has to meet the bus, thinking about his hurried conversation with Bellamy. It had gone much the way he’d expected, Bellamy no more willing than he had been to go along with dragging their feet about reporting Finn until Bellamy had also realized Raven had a point. Finn wasn’t going to stop until he was made to, and reporting him now would only put him off for the rest of the summer. The only thing that would ultimately protect Raven, and Clarke by extension, was by putting Raven in danger just enough to get solid evidence that would keep Finn away permanently.

At least Bellamy understood in a way Raven didn’t, how much of a struggle it was not to lash out at Finn and confront him over what he’d done to Raven in the past as well as since he’d arrived at Camp Jaha. When he’d walked into Raven’s classroom looking for her, saw her so scared and held her when she’d cried, he’d wanted nothing more than to take out his frustrations on Finn’s face, and although he’d promised Raven he wouldn’t start anything, it was tougher than he was letting on not to take matters into his own hands and teach Finn the kind of painful lesson he deserved. Knowing that Raven had been alone and afraid her entire school year, enduring what Finn was putting her through only to have him find her during her summer away and try to start it all up again…It was infuriating. He was angry both on Raven’s behalf and because it wasn’t how any man should act towards a female, ever. Murphy knew more violence wouldn’t solve the problem, wouldn’t serve to help Raven in the way she really needed, but Bellamy had understood the desire for retribution all the same, and he’d been able to vent about it in a way that he didn’t want to burden Raven with.

Although he was feeling better about filling a friend in on the situation and having another set of eyes and ears aimed at the problem, their conversation hadn’t done anything to alleviate his own concerns about being able to distance himself from Raven enough to concentrate on Finn when they were trying to make him jealous. Last night was Exhibit A that once they got physical, his brain practically checked out, and that wasn’t going to do either of them any favors if it meant he couldn’t pay attention to Finn’s reactions and keep Raven safe.

It was just a kiss, he reminds himself. A really damn good one, but still only a kiss. He had to pull himself together, knowing how much was riding on his ability to stay in control. The last thing he ever wanted to do was endanger Raven because of a moment of inattention on his part, especially after he saw firsthand just how awful the fallout was when Finn got to her. Raven might think that the number one goal of their charade was to get Finn to slip up enough to get arrested, but Murphy knew the top priority was to protect her until this was finally finished.

Straightening up from the counter, Murphy turns out the light and pulls the darkroom door closed behind him. He’s still got twenty minutes before it’s time to meet the bus that will take a group of the counselors to town during the late morning trip, but he means to be early for it so Raven won’t be waiting around at any point on her own. Last night on the walk back into camp from the woods, he’d asked her whether she was scheduled for the first or second town bus of the day, but he hadn’t revealed that he already had the answer. Another perk about being so familiar with Camp Jaha meant that he knew each year all the counselors were scheduled to get bused into town before the campers arrived. They could pick up any last minute supplies or learn where everything was and map out some things they’d like to do on their own off days, but Murphy and Bellamy had long been aware it was also a great chance to show a new female counselor around early in the season if they could arrange to be on the same trip together.

Maybe Bellamy had been right when he’d accused Murphy of finding trouble quickly, because even before he’d learned about Raven’s problems with her ex-boyfriend and gotten involved up to his eyebrows, he’d found himself dropping by the Camp’s Main Office the morning after he’d drawn her number and they’d sat at the same table and introduced themselves. He’d known then that he wouldn’t mind getting to know Raven Reyes better, and it had only taken a little work to convince Indra, the office manager, to put him on the same bus as Raven for the counselor’s trip. At first Indra had acted like she wasn’t going to help him out, but she’d known him since he’d been coming to camp around age ten, and she’d eventually sighed and pulled out the schedule to swap him from the afternoon trip with Bellamy to the earlier one with the girl who’d made him curious.

And then fate had stepped in and only a few hours later, he’d found himself getting a drink from the vending machines, and she’d joined him there and they’d gotten a few minutes to talk before it had tumbled downhill with the appearance of Finn. He’d change the circumstances, if he could, but he couldn’t be sorry that he’d be the one showing her around even if it was going to be because of a crazy deal to act like they were dating instead of him using the trip to get to know her better. He was already way ahead of himself in that respect, since Raven had been willing to share things about herself with him. When this was finished, when they found a way to keep Finn away from her for good, he might confess to her how he’d pulled some strings to spend time with her just based on their first short conversation. She’d most likely get a good laugh out of it, but for now, he was going to be grateful that he’d gotten it right, even if it was unwittingly.


	6. Chapter 6

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/170152452@N02/48573083147/in/dateposted-public/)

Raven’s smile widens as she spots Murphy waiting on the sidewalk for her, little clusters of counselors surrounding him as they all wait to board the bus. She hadn’t gotten to eat breakfast with Murphy and his friends since Clarke had maneuvered her to a small table in the dining hall, and she was a little nervous seeing him again after last night and the way Clarke had pointed out how intimate their kissing had looked to an outsider. But Jasper and Monty were practically pulling her along and it was hard to stay embarrassed in the face of their enthusiasm, especially when Murphy walks forward as she gets closer, and it’s the easiest thing in the world to step into his arms and hug him hello. It’s only after he keeps his arm around her waist when they pull apart that she realizes he was likely putting on a show as her boyfriend, and the thought makes her smile dim a little. 

She listens to the chaos around her, everyone chattering about the beautiful day and what they wanted to buy or do while they were in town. Last night Murphy had asked which bus trip she’d be on, and she’d been happy that they’d be on the ride to Arcata together, looking forward to getting shown around the town from someone who knew it. But that had been before they kissed, before she felt this uncertain weight in her belly when she remembered how it felt to have his lips on hers. And now it’s only gotten worse as Clarke’s words at breakfast echo in her head, about how she hasn’t seen Raven look that happy and at ease in ages, and that she was glad that Raven had found someone who could make her feel that way. Raven had swallowed the lump in her throat, unhappy about lying to Clarke about the circumstances but absolutely sure that what Clarke was saying was still right. She _ did _ feel happy and at ease when she was with Murphy, because they were friends. They hadn’t known each other very long, but she knew they were friends just like she knew she was good at making robots. It was just a fact. 

But it was too soon for anything else, anything more, and besides, Murphy being nice to her and his willingness to help her with this problem didn’t mean he liked her on a deeper level. He was a good person, and that’s what good people did; they helped when someone needed it. It didn’t mean something bigger on his part. Raven’s busy reminding herself of this, chanting it in her mind even as her body is curved into Murphy’s, but then he leans down and whispers something for only her ears and every thought in her head is forgotten. 

“Everything’s gonna be okay, but you need to know that I saw Finn towards the back of the line.”

She controls herself from turning around to look, though she’s sure Murphy can feel her body tense under his arm. 

“He’s not going to try anything on the bus with so many people around,” he quietly reminds her. “Everything he’s been doing is about isolating you, making you afraid. I won’t leave you alone for a minute.”

The anxiety over Finn doesn’t go away with his words, but it’s astonishing how much better she feels knowing that Murphy is not only there with her, but that he understands, knows to appeal to her rational side rather than just offering a reassuring word or two. It’s what she needs, and her heart rate slows down as she takes a few calming breaths. 

Murphy slips his hand off her waist and into hers as they board the bus, the driver asking everyone to fill in from the back. Raven follows behind the girl in front of her until they reach a seat towards the rear, pausing to see if Murphy wants to go in first, but he gestures for her to go ahead. 

“No, you sit by the window so you can see the view. I’ll point out a few things as we go by.”

Sliding in, Raven grimaces when the hard springs in the seat of the old school bus dig into her thighs and Murphy’s eyes laugh at her as he gives her a knowing grin. 

“Don’t expect this ride to be very comfortable,” he warns as he squishes in beside her. 

And even though she knows Finn will be climbing up the bus stairs in a few moments, with Murphy’s arm around her shoulders and his leg pressed snugly to hers, Raven feels safe. 

*****

It’s Murphy’s knowledge of the side streets and shops of Arcata that allow them to ditch Finn’s tail early on, and Raven thoroughly enjoys the silly stories Murphy tells her about the trouble he and Bellamy used to get into when they were younger and often up to no good. She buys a few postcards and Murphy lets her try out one of his cameras he brought along, and she feels like a carefree tourist for a little while. 

He pulls her into an old-fashioned ice cream parlor and they hang back while the crowd in front of them orders heaping cones in homemade flavors, and when it’s finally their turn, Murphy leans over the counter and yells in the direction of a curtained-off backroom. 

“Mrs. O, I’m here!”

A tiny, white-haired elderly woman appears almost instantaneously, a wide smile on her face. “I was waiting for you, John. Lots of your friends have been in already.” She turns toward the teen girl. “Emily, I have another old friend who has come to visit. You wait on anyone else that comes in, alright?”

“Yes, Mrs. Owens.” The shop bell rings then, and the girl smiles at the new customers. 

“Introduce me to your friend, John, and then tell me what I can get you, although I’m pretty sure I already know.”

Murphy grins and tugs Raven down the counter and away from the boisterous tourists with young children spilling into the shop. 

“Mrs. Owens, I’d like you to meet Raven Reyes. She’s a new counselor for Sinclair this year, an Aerospace Engineer major at Stanford. Raven, this is Mrs. Owens, the best homemade ice cream proprietor in all of California, and also one of my favorite people.”

“Oh, ignore him, Raven, and I’m happy to meet you! Now don’t you let this troublemaker start dragging you into any of his schemes this season.” Mrs. Owens brushes off Murphy’s compliments, but Raven can tell they pleased her by the way she beams at Murphy. 

“I’m glad to meet you, too, Mrs. Owens. But to tell you the truth, it’s Murphy keeping _ me _ out of trouble this summer.”

“Well isn’t that interesting,” Mrs. Owens chuckles. “Maybe he’s met his match for a change. I’ve known him and Bellamy since they started coming to Camp Jaha, the little monsters. Do you know they used to come in here, order big cones and sit at that table by the window over there, laughing uproariously at everyone that tried to pick up the spilled change on the ground right near the door. Of course, they were the ones who had glued the quarters there to begin with!”

Murphy laughs in remembrance. “I was only about ten at the time, and don’t think I didn’t notice you laughing sometimes too, Mrs. O!”

Raven smiles, envisioning a much younger version of Murphy gluing coins to the ground and thinking it was hilarious when people couldn’t pick them up. He was probably pretty cute but it’s not hard to imagine that he would have gotten into more than his fair share of trouble. 

“You know I only giggled at the tourists, John, though your prank fooled plenty of natives too. Now have you grown up on me yet, or shall I scoop you up some Fire & Ice? And how about for you, Raven, what would you like?”

“It all looks delicious and while I’m leaning towards your chocolate peanut butter over there, I didn’t see this Fire & Ice. What’s that?”

Mrs. Owens points her finger at Murphy. “John will tell you it’s his favorite, but in all the years he’s been coming here, never once have I seen him order anything else, so don’t let him fool you into thinking he knows best! Fire & Ice has always been popular with the kids in town and the campers who visit. It’s our special vanilla recipe swirled with melted cinnamon candies for a little bit of spice. It’s not going to kill anyone, but it does have a kick.”

“Can I help it if the young version of me was wise beyond his years? It’s absolutely the best flavor, and I don’t _ need _ to try anything else to know that,” Murphy boasts, pinning his gaze on Raven. “What do you say, Reyes, can you take a little heat?”

He’s intentionally teasing her, she knows that, but it doesn’t stop the butterflies in her belly when she meets his eyes. “Please make that two, Mrs. Owens.”

“I’ll put them in sugar cones for you, just the way he likes them. And don’t you try to pay, either one of you. It’s John’s first visit back and this one’s on me since I’ve missed the rotten little bugger.”

“Rotten little bugger?” Raven mouths softly, her eyes widening in delight at the nickname.

“She means that in the sweetest way possible,” Murphy brags, “and it’s much nicer than what she calls Octavia, anyway.”

“Oh, that horrible demon girl! When is she coming to see me? I’ve missed those Blake’s too, though don’t you be telling them now.”

Murphy looks at Raven with an I-told-you-so expression. “Bell and O will probably come by on the afternoon bus. I bet Raven’s friend Clarke will be with Bellamy.” 

“Is that right?” Mrs. Owens slowly returns, two cones balanced expertly in one hand as she walks out from behind the counter. “Here you go, enjoy them.” 

Passing a cone to Raven first, Murphy then takes a huge bite out of his before asking her to hold his too. Once she takes it, he wraps his arms around Mrs. Owens in a soft hug. 

“I’ll stay longer and catch you up on my first day off, okay? I missed you too.”

“I’ll look forward to it. Raven, you come by and visit as well, even if you don’t have the same day off as John. I have plenty of stories that will make your hair curl.”

Raven laughs, enthusiastic at the prospect of hearing more about young Murphy. “I’d like that, and thank you very much for the ice cream. Murphy may have a point about it being the best flavor.”

“Finally! Someone who recognizes my genius!”

“Now look what you’ve done - he’s only going to be more insufferable.” Mrs. Owens winks when she says it, making it clear she’s teasing, but Murphy is obviously happy that she likes the ice cream flavor he recommended so Raven could never be sorry for feeding his ego. 

They say their goodbyes, Mrs. Owens shooing them back out into the sunshine as they lick their ice cream cones. Murphy finishes first and reminds her they have about thirty minutes before they’d agreed to meet the bus, wanting to be on first again so that Finn wouldn’t be seated behind them. There’s a few other counselors and staff from the camp wandering around the main street, and as Raven throws out her napkin and the finished wrapper from her cone, she wonders if she could make a grab for Murphy’s hand, under the guise of wanting them to look more like a couple. Before she gets up the nerve, she’s distracted by a window display for a small corner bookstore. 

“Can we go in here? Look, they have some really nice picture frames, and I haven’t bought a souvenir yet.”

“Of course.” 

He pulls the door open for her and she enters the darkened space, immediately taken with the glossy wood cabinets, multiple potted plants and low lighting. There’s a soft nature CD playing in the background, and it almost feels like stepping into the woods, complete with mossy green carpet under her feet. It’s filled with books on every surface, and close to the door is a huge round display table filled with illustrated books of the area, maps and travel guides. Raven’s busy taking it all in, only looking up when she hears someone call out. 

“John Murphy! I thought that was you! I guess it’s that time back up at Jaha again, isn’t it?”

“Pike, hi. Yeah, the campers will be coming in soon along with the summer visitors, and you business owners will wish it was winter again after a few weeks of insanity around here.”

The man laughs and looks at Raven. “Welcome, I haven’t seen you around before. This is my shop, so just let me know if there’s anything I can help you with.”

“Raven, this is Charles Pike. He owns this bookstore and is good friends with Kane, my boss in the Art Department. Pike, this is Raven Reyes, and she’s working with Sinclair this year.”

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Pike. Your shop is lovely. I was actually hoping to look at some of the picture frames I spotted in your front window. The ones carved from wood?”

“Oh, yes, those are very popular. They’re handmade by a local artist from sustainable resources, and I have a section back here full of local goods - books, frames, souvenirs and collectibles, that sort of thing. I’ll show you.”

He leads them farther back into the store, closer to a huge window that looks out onto the side street, complete with cushioned bench and pillows. There’s local objects, books, artwork and very nice frames on the shelves and hanging on the wall. 

“If you like something, feel free to take it down or ask and I’ll get the ladder. Murphy, please tell Marcus I still need a rematch for that last chess game when he gets some time off, alright?”

“Will do,” Murphy replies, and Raven adds her thanks before Pike heads back to the front of the store. The picture frames are even more beautiful up close, many of them carved to look like the rough bark on the giant trees the area was so filled with. She especially likes the raised, bumpy surface of those, even though the ones decorated with leaf shapes are also pretty. 

“Everywhere we went today, so many people know who you are,” Raven comments, watching as Murphy idly picks up a flat rock painted with a forest scene. 

“I am pretty memorable,” he grins. “Seriously though, it’s what happens in a place like this when you come every summer for so long. Lots of people working in Arcata either went to the camp themselves or worked there in some capacity. It’s almost like a small town of its own in that way. It’s nice most of the time, and I do love it here, but sometimes on my days off I don’t come into town and I go into the woods instead. You can probably guess why.” 

Raven smiles in response, understanding immediately. “It’s so quiet there, just you and the views. Believe me, I get that desire to just get away from everyone else.” She looks back down at the table, privately thinking that she wouldn’t mind hanging out with _ him _ on her own days off, whether it was here in town or alone with him in the woods. 

Inserting a deliberately cheerful tone into her voice, Raven shakes off her little fantasy. “I’m going to get a couple of these frames. They just _ feel _ like this place to me, you know? If you have time, do you think you could take a picture of the fireflies and the meadow from your treehouse for me? I’d love to have a picture of that to take back home when the summer is over.”

“I can definitely do that,” he promises, the warmth in his eyes making her wish this was a real date, that they had all the time in the world and no responsibilities so they could just talk and go wherever they wanted. 

Murphy moves slowly towards her, his arm reaching up high on the shelf behind her, crowding her against it slightly as he keeps his gaze stuck to hers. When he lowers his hand, there’s a frame in it similar to the ones she’s been deciding between. 

“I like this one.” 

It’s bigger than the others, chunkier and the gradient shades of the wood are beautifully clear even though the carving is bark-rough like the others she preferred. It’s a good choice, one she probably would’ve chosen herself if she’d seen it, but she wants it more now because he likes it. It’ll be the right frame for the meadow picture he’ll give her to put in it, she decides, and she’ll get to remember today each time she looks at it as well. 

“I like it too,” she tells him, a little out of breath with how close he is.

His stare is unreadable, and she thinks for a second that maybe he’s going to kiss her before she realizes that’s crazy, but then the bell over the door at the front of the store sounds out and he looks up, not moving away from her although his attention is gone for a moment. Raven waits with bated breath, hoping the interruption will pass, but when he turns his head to look back at her, his focus catches briefly on something outside the window before he meets her eyes again. This time the look in them is much more solemn. 

“Don’t look, but Finn’s standing across the sidewalk outside, watching us through the window. Pretty sure he didn’t notice me noticing him. I don’t know how long he’s been there. Do you want to...do something about that?”

Raven nods, unable to put into words just how much she wants Murphy to kiss her, though she wishes it could be because he _ wants _ to, and not because he was playing the part of her boyfriend in hopes of her ex making a jealous mistake. He steps in even closer when she agrees, their bodies pressing together, and while one hand takes the heavy frame from her grasp, the other cups her cheek, thumb lazily stroking over her jaw before he bends his head and his lips meet hers. 

Murphy slings his arm around her, the frame bumping into her hip as he pulls her tighter to him. She’s caught between his chest at her front and the bookshelf at her back, and she’s glad for the support when he slowly deepens the kiss, his mouth firm and demanding. She opens to him with a little sigh, her hands gripping his arms then sliding up to his shoulders at the way he draws out the kiss and builds the desire burning through her. He tastes like cinnamon from the ice cream, and she swears it makes her tongue tingle in response. 

Raven rises up on her tiptoes, needing to be closer, and she revels in the low groan that Murphy makes when her breasts rub more firmly against him with the movement. The aggressiveness of the kiss notches higher, Murphy’s tongue stroking into her mouth more demandingly, and it’s only when a young child somewhere in the store starts to loudly cry that she gets back the awareness of where they are, breaking the kiss with a gasp as she tries to catch her breath. 

His arms loosen, and Raven is relieved that Murphy looks just as stunned as she feels to realize that they’d gotten so carried away. No one had come to this part of the bookstore that she’d seen, but they were already in view of the window and anyone could have wandered over. Raven wonders if she would have even noticed another customer, if they’d been quiet about it. Probably not. She was too caught up again, despite the promise she’d made to _ not _ let herself get so flustered and unrestrained when Murphy was touching her. She’d only been fooling herself, she realizes that now. God, two kisses and she’s already such a goner. But thinking back to that first evening they’d met, maybe it happened even before the first time they’d touched. 

“He had to have seen that, right?” Her voice is husky from the kiss and the abrupt understanding of her feelings as she looks up at Murphy, still standing so close she could easily pull him back down to her. 

“I don’t think he could have missed it,” Murphy admits. His free hand smoothes down a portion of the hair that’s fallen across her shoulder before tucking it behind her ear, and the gentle caress sends goose bumps over her skin. “We better get to the bus though.”

“Yeah.” 

Raven hurriedly picks up the other frame she wanted, and Murphy carries them both to the register for her. Pike makes small talk, with no indication that he’d noticed what they had been doing, and when they exit the store, the cool breeze on her heated cheeks is a relief. She can tell Murphy is scanning the vicinity for Finn, but she spots him first, staring at them from across the street. From the harsh expression on his face, she figures he saw exactly what they were doing through that window, and she looks away sharply, not wanting the sight and thought of him to ruin her day any further. 

Murphy scowls over her shoulder before he also turns away, taking the heavy bag from her grasp and winding the fingers of his free hand through hers as they walk side by side. He squeezes her palm against his until she looks over at him, desperately trying to appear composed at the casual touch. 

“You know we can change the plan any time you want, if you don’t feel safe or if you think he’s getting more dangerous. And don’t think for a moment that _ I _ wouldn’t change everything in that case too. He’s already left a bruise on you since he got to camp...I know why we’re taking this risk, even though I don’t like it, but I don’t want you getting hurt, Raven. He’s clearly incredibly pissed off at what he’s seeing.”

“I know. All of it, I mean. That we could stop or change, and that you want to make sure I stay safe. I know this plan is dangerous, and I do wonder if this is the right tactic, but I want so badly for him to just be _ out _ of my life. I’d be stupid not to be afraid of him, and I already know what he’s capable of.” Raven pushes her hair out of her eyes as the breeze kicks up, wanting to be sure Murphy can see how sincere she is as she tries to put her thoughts into words. “But I hope you know how much this means to me to have your support. When I think about how Finn has already acted and tried to intimidate me since he first got here, I would never have been able to get through it without your help.”

“You’re pretty resourceful; you would have thought of something or found someone else to help you.”

“No, I don’t think so. The finding someone else to help me part, anyway. Even though we met the night before I first saw Finn at camp, I felt awkward when you saw what happened when he found me at those vending machines. I was embarrassed about it all. But I was still willing to agree to your offer to walk with me to lunch, and to sit with you and your friends, _ and _ I listened to you convince me to tell Clarke what was going on. And then that led to me opening up to everyone else at the table too. I meant it when I said that I hadn’t been socializing because of the things Finn had put me through, and it was _ you _ that made me step out of my comfort zone and accept your help. I don’t think I would have taken it from someone I’d never spoken to at all, or someone who hadn’t pushed a little extra, like you did, because you knew I needed help even if I was scared to admit it. You’ve helped me more than you think, and not just with Finn either.”

Yes, there, that’s exactly what she wants him to understand, that it was specifically _ him _ that was making her feel like this was even slightly less of a disaster, _ him _ that made her feel like she could handle it, that she was already better off because they had met. If she was braver, she might tell him he was the first person who had ever made her feel safe since all this started, but if she got too emotional about it, she knew she’d say more than she should. Like how today would be a sweet memory she wouldn't forget and how much fun she had with him and how she didn’t want it to be over. Or how kissing him was the best feeling in the world and she wanted to do it again as soon as possible. And maybe even please could he think about being her _ actual _ boyfriend instead of a pretend one. She swallows it all back, knowing everything is complicated and too-soon and there’s every chance that Murphy’s helping her because he’s _ good _ and not because he’s interested in anything else. 

He seems to take her seriously though, the words she does say, and as they lean against the brick wall of the building near where the bus will pick them up, Raven tucks herself ever so slightly closer to his body, greedily memorizing every moment. 

*****

Murphy tries to stretch his legs underneath the bus seat in front of him, carefully avoiding the bag with Raven’s picture frames that rests near his foot. They’ve been on the road a little while, and after the tense moments waiting for Finn to get on the bus, Raven had rested her head on his shoulder, her body gradually relaxing the more time that passed as they sped back to camp. 

Just like on the way to town, he’d put his arm around her, partly to reassure her over the presence of her ex-boyfriend, partly to keep up the charade of their ‘relationship’, and also because he couldn’t deny he simply wanted to. She’s been still for the last fifteen minutes or so, and he wonders if she’s fallen asleep, but if he adjusts his body in order to get a glimpse of her face, he’s afraid he’ll disturb her so instead he tilts his head back and considers the way their outing has gone so far. If he rates the day based on how much he enjoyed himself, then it’s easily a ten. But if he rates how well he did at focusing on Finn, keeping him away from Raven and preventing her from having any scary confrontations, his score is going to take a hit. He’d done well at evading Finn due to his knowledge of Arcata’s streets, and he’d been alert to who was around them in various stores or while they were walking through the town, and he’d even give himself credit for noticing Finn outside the bookshop window. 

When she’d agreed to let him kiss her again though… that had been his downfall, just like last time. He’s sure he wouldn’t have noticed at all if Finn had quietly come up behind them, and that lack of awareness on his part could result in disaster. Until the moment that his lips slid over hers, he’d been focused on retaining his control, of staying conscious of what was happening around them. But it had been so easy to get carried away, to forget what he was supposed to be doing when faced with the reality of getting to pull her close to him. And it was ridiculous too, because it wasn’t as if he hadn’t kissed his fair share of girls. Granted, the two kisses he’d shared with Raven both got heated, but even so, he shouldn’t be so preoccupied that he didn’t even remember that inattention on his part could lead to something unsafe, and that’s exactly what was happening. He wanted her too much, she felt too good, and it was too easy to pretend that things between them were real. 

He needed to be careful in more ways than one. The campers hadn’t even arrived yet, and he was already pretty sure he was falling in love with Raven Reyes. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, if only I could update my stories based on osmosis or something! I wish I could explain to you guys the amount of stories in my head that are just DYING to be told. It's so tough to juggle them and only concentrate on the WIPs I've already got going when part of my brain is already six stories ahead of myself. Well, at least it means content for the foreseeable future! Hope you enjoyed this update and happy Monday to you all!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The start of school, homework and multiple activities for my two children has sent me into something of a whirlwind of late, but I promise I'm still committed to my two current WIPs even if it's slower going than we'd ALL like! I'm so excited for my next longish story I can barely contain it, but I have not been cheating on my WIPs with it so don't worry! This update goes a bit on the longer side at over 6k since a few things need to happen to get us where we're going. Hope you like it!

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/170152452@N02/48799735831/in/dateposted-public/)

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/170152452@N02/48573083147/in/dateposted-public/)

Murphy finishes his classroom setup almost two hours early, a bonus from having done it so many summers before. He knows Kane won’t mind if he cuts out before the schedule says to, but he still needs to pick up a copy of his own finalized summer schedule and find a way to grab Finn’s as well. Checking his watch, he figures there’s a good chance that Kane will be in his office, so he’ll swing by there first and then go and keep Raven company until it’s time for dinner. 

As expected, Marcus Kane is at his desk and looks up with a smile as Murphy knocks on the open door. 

“Finish early again this year, hmm? Come in, come in.”

“It’s bound to happen when I’ve learned my lesson about doing a more organized pack-up job at the end of camp since I’ll be the one unboxing it again the following year,” Murphy jokes, though he did have to learn that lesson the hard way. 

Kane grins in response. “You know what you’re doing by now, which makes both our lives far easier. Especially helpful this year, since I’ve had to spend so much time training a new art instructor.”

Murphy winces slightly at the mention of Finn, and Kane picks up on it immediately. 

“No, don’t try to hide your reaction. I’ve known you long enough to realize when you don’t like someone. There’s been tension there since that first day, I think, though you’ve been making an effort not to be obvious. You want to tell me what’s going on?”

Sometimes his history with this camp and the people in it doesn’t work to his benefit, Murphy thinks, carefully weighing what he should say in response. 

“Look, it’s true I don’t like Finn, at all. It’s kind of a long story. If you know me well enough to read between the lines, then maybe you can just accept what I’m saying as truth when I tell you not to trust Finn, and to keep a serious eye on him around here.”

Leaning forward in his chair, Kane tilts his head in concern. “It sounds like there’s something bigger than I thought going on. I do trust you, and I’m taking what you say seriously, but it would help if I had some context.”

Murphy sighs, torn. “If this was my story to tell, you’d already know it. Just don’t let him fly under the radar and when I have some clear proof, it’ll all come out. And maybe in the meantime you can give me a copy of his schedule too, which I will mostly use to avoid him.”

It wasn’t quite a lie, not really. He _ would _ use the schedule to avoid Finn, because the more he saw that bastard, the more he wanted to punch his rotten face in. He’d just also be using it to keep Raven away from him and that way he and Bellamy could be a bit ahead of the game when it came to knowing where Finn might be at any given time. 

There’s a few beats of silence after Murphy makes his request, and then Kane opens a drawer to his desk. 

“Why do I have the feeling that if I didn’t give this to you myself, you’d get your hands on it anyway?”

A grin twitches at the corner of his mouth as Murphy shrugs his shoulders, but they both know it’s what would happen. He reaches forward to take the papers Kane holds out. 

“It’s your schedule and Finn’s. Don’t worry about making a copy; I’ll just print another one out. But keep me informed, John. Of course I’m willing to have faith in what you say, but I don’t want you keeping something unsafe to yourself.”

“Yeah, I get that. I’m working on it.” He gets to his feet, remembering what he was supposed to pass along. “Saw Pike at the bookstore earlier today. Said to tell you that he wants a chess rematch when you have some time.”

Kane laughs. “That’s because I’ve won our last couple of games and he’s itching to try out a new strategy. Thanks for the message, and I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

Murphy lifts a hand in acknowledgment and exits the office, eager to surprise Raven before dinner. Everyone would have their schedules by the time the meal started, and he was hoping theirs would match up in a few places. If not, he knew where they could get away with a few swaps and where they couldn’t, and if he got a head start on the process, all the better. He was due a few favors from some of the other counselors over the seasons, and he can’t think of a better reason to call them in. 

*

It’s been two days since her trip to Arcata with Murphy, and tomorrow morning the campers start to arrive. Raven is excited and nervous as she hikes up the hill towards the counselor’s cabins with Jasper and Monty. Sinclair dismissed them somewhat early since everything was in order in their classrooms, their training complete, and she would have some time to kill before dinner. After that, she didn’t know what the group would choose to do to celebrate their ‘last night of freedom’, as Octavia was calling it, but Raven knew it would end up being fun. 

Slowing down just slightly, she takes in the view - the tall trees surrounding her, the gravel path beneath her feet and the scent of the woods in the air, finding it hard to believe she’s only been at Camp Jaha for five days. Already the area seems familiar to her, and the people she’s met have been the kind of friends she’s always wanted to have. Clarke is happy here too, loving her job in the infirmary and turning red any time Raven teases her about Bellamy and how close those two have gotten so quickly. Clarke tends to throw it back, hassling her about Murphy, but Raven knows it isn’t the same. Clarke only thinks they’re together because that’s the act they’re putting on, and as much as Raven hates lying to her, she’s started to hate pretending even more. 

It comes so naturally, the affectionate way she’s treating her 'boyfriend', but trying to separate her feelings is impossible. John Murphy is performing his role absolutely perfectly as far as Raven’s concerned, and her reactions to him aren’t an act at all. It’s easy to smile at him and cuddle closer at night because she _ wants _ to. Last night they’d kissed again, after dinner when Murphy had walked her back to her classroom since everyone had final run-throughs of their lesson plans with their advisers. Finn had been trailing them, on his way to the Arts Building just like Murphy, and they’d taken advantage, kissing quickly but thoroughly. Raven hadn’t even bothered pretending that she was doing anything but throwing herself completely into the kiss, her body coming alive with just a few touches. And whether it was the kisses, or Murphy dropping by her Engineering classroom to help her get her to-do list done, him taking her hand as they walked some of the trails together, or making her laugh with the stories he tells or the way he listens intently when she’s talking, it all adds up to make her wish things were different. 

That first night, Luna had planted the idea of a summer fling, and then she’d met Murphy and he’d made her a little crazy but there was just something about him… Raven had been wondering if none of this had happened, if Finn had never come, she thinks she might’ve tried to flirt with Murphy on her own. Probably would have taken her a while to get up her courage, and maybe she would’ve been too late if he met someone else first, but he’d caught her interest with his agile replies and cleverness, and a part of her likes thinking about what could have been if only they’d had the chance to develop it on their own. Still, Murphy is definitely her silver lining in this whole mess, and she can’t ever be sorry that she’s gotten to know him, even though it hadn’t happened in the way her romantic reveries might long for. 

She looks up from her musings, a frown crossing her face as she realizes Monty and Jasper have gotten far ahead of her and there aren’t other people around. Raven steps forward quickly, hoping to catch up, but there’s a crunch of gravel behind her suddenly and then she’s being pushed forcefully to the side and into the thick trees along the path. A hand covers her mouth and she knows it’s Finn as her back collides with the rough bark of one of the trees, Finn pressing hard against her. They’re facing away from the path, probably not even visible to anyone who might come along, and Raven fights to get out from his grip. 

“Shut up, Raven. Don’t scream or I’ll hurt you.” 

Finn pushes her harder into the tree, and Raven winces at the pain, knowing her t-shirt is likely tearing and her back will be all scratched up. He’s holding her tightly, using his weight to pin her, and his face is only inches from hers as he glares at her. 

“It makes me sick that you’re letting him touch you. I’ve seen you, throwing yourself at him, but I know you’re only doing it to make me jealous. You don’t need to, Raven. I’ve already told you I want us to be together again. It’s the only way. Break up with him. He doesn’t care about you. If he did, he would have come after me after he found us together in your classroom. But he didn’t. I’m the one who cares about you, Raven - me! I’m the one who tracked you down and followed you here so we can be together. Why can’t you see that?”

Her heart is pounding in her chest, her eyes darting around trying to spot someone, anyone, who might be able to help her. She’s barely focusing on his twisted words as she waits for the moment when he loosens his grasp, anything she can use to get away. Her struggles only increase the injuries to her back, the jagged bark digging into her skin with every movement, but Finn’s determined to get in his say, unconcerned that she’s not agreeing with his words. 

“If you don’t want something to happen to him, Raven, push him away. You don’t belong to him, you belong with _ me_! One way or the other, he’s got to go.”

Abruptly, Finn violently slams her upper body into the tree one last time as he whirls and races away, leaving Raven dazed and trying to catch her breath as tears start to course down her cheeks. She reaches out a hand to steady herself on the tree trunk, turning towards the path as her balance wavers. There still isn’t anyone around who could have witnessed what happened, so she makes her way slowly to her cabin, just wanting to sit down and pull herself together.

Raven clumsily fumbles the door open after what seems like an interminable walk, vision blurry with tears. It’s only when Luna jumps up from her bed to wrap her arms around her, murmuring with concern, that she gives in and sobs, soaking Luna’s shoulder in the process. 

“Honey, here, sit down,” Luna leads her over to Raven’s bed, draping the soft blanket that's folded at the foot around her shoulders. “Do you need me to take you to the infirmary, are you hurt?”

Shaking her head, Raven takes a few deep breaths until she feels more in control. “I’m okay, just...something scared me.”

“Some_ thing _ or some _ one _?” Luna asks, getting to the bottom of the situation quickly. 

Wiping her cheeks, Raven meets Luna’s compassionate gaze, recognizing that she really would like to talk to her. “It’s a long story.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Luna smiles, and it’s just what Raven needs as the whole story comes tumbling out - about Finn, about how it all started, about how Murphy was there during that first run-in when Finn made his presence known at the camp and then again when Finn accosted her in her own classroom. 

Luna listens as Raven tells her all about her fake relationship idea and why Raven was hoping it would push Finn into doing something that would allow her to get a restraining order against him instead of just kicking him out of the counselor position for the summer. She explains that Murphy had been resistant at first, but then he’d come around and Bellamy knew too, in order to keep a better eye on Finn and keep him away from Clarke. It all spills out, and just when Raven thinks she’s finished, her mouth opens again and she shares something else. 

“And on top of all of it, even though I shouldn’t have and it’s terrible timing and he’s just being _ nice _ to me, I’m pretty sure I’m falling in love with Murphy and it’s making me _ miserable_.”

A hum of sympathy bubbles up from Luna’s throat as she gently hugs her again. “Oh, Raven, this is terrible! I’m so sorry all this happened to you, and I can understand why you’re trying to force Finn’s hand even though it’s dangerous. I can only imagine how awful it’s been. You said how upset you are about lying to Clarke, but I have a feeling she’s going to understand once all this finally comes out and Finn is gone from both your lives for good. Anything I can do to help you, you know I'm here.” 

Raven nods in relief as she returns the hug, feeling markedly better at having confided in Luna. It was everything she wanted to say to Clarke but couldn’t, because her desire to keep Clarke out of danger was more important, at least until Raven knew Clarke would be safe. 

Luna pulls back from the embrace, grabbing Raven’s hand in hers. “Now about that feeling ‘miserable’ comment…Raven, you have to see that John cares about you. He’s not just helping you to be _ nice_, it’s because he wants to, and he wants to because he cares what happens to you. I can’t speak for him, but I can see how he looks at you, and there’s no question you’re important to him.”

Sniffing a little, Raven reaches over and grabs a tissue from her nightstand, blowing her nose as she thinks about Luna’s comments. 

“We’re friends, I know that. It doesn’t matter that we’ve only known each other a short time. I trust that I’m his friend just like he’s mine. But it’s crazy to think that there’s anything else there this fast, especially when I’ve practically forced him into making out with me because of this - this _ role _ that I convinced him to play. I thought it would be alright, that we could pull it off because I did trust him so quickly, but it turns out that I’m the one in danger of messing it all up because I can’t distance myself like I’m supposed to.”

“Who says you need to distance yourself?” Luna grins enigmatically in that way she has, and Raven finds herself unable to answer the question, quiet as she considers what it could mean. 

They hear voices outside, and Luna turns to look out the window. “Looks like some of the other counselors have finished early too, John among them. There’s still more than an hour until dinner, and even if Lexa gets out early, she’ll choose to fence or debate with Roan and Echo rather than coming back here, and I’ve noticed Clarke tends to go late. You could probably have the cabin to yourself if you want.” Luna gives her an innocent look. “Should I ask him to come in so you can tell him about what happened?”

Raven feels conflicted. She wants to see Murphy but worries he’s going to be upset with her for falling behind and leaving herself vulnerable to Finn. He’s been so insistent that she stay with other people for just this reason. 

“How much of a mess am I?” 

Luna looks her over, taking in the red eyes, the tear-stained cheeks, the messy hair still tangled with bark and pine needles, and Raven sitting on her bed wrapped in a blanket, making her look small and a little lost. It’s probably not the look Raven’s going for, but there’s no doubt in her mind that Raven needs a different kind of comfort than Luna can give. 

“You look fine, just a little pale,” Luna fibs, her mind made up. “I’ll send him in, and I’ll see you at dinner. Please don’t forget - whatever you need, I’ll help you, too.”

“Thanks, Luna. I appreciate that so much.”

“I know.” Luna walks out the door and Raven wonders exactly how she’s going to explain this to Murphy. 

*

Luna’s calm about it, in that natural way she has, but Murphy feels a clench of fear in his stomach anyway when she comes to their cabin door and says Raven needs him. He doesn’t bother to knock when he storms up her steps, just barges right in, and the sight of Raven huddled under a blanket on the bed near the front windows only increases his worry. She’s been crying, that much is obvious, and he scans his eyes over her to see if she’s hurt. 

“Are you okay? What happened?” 

He sits gingerly on the side of the bed, not wanting to make anything worse, but she drops the edges of the blanket once he’s close and it falls away from her shoulders as she surges forward, her arms wrapping around his chest. He returns the embrace, the tightness inside him loosening now that he can see her, hold her, but as soon as his hands brush over her back she stiffens in his arms, gasping. 

“Hey, hey, you’re alright,” he soothes, though he’s not sure if she is at all, and the longer she goes without saying anything, the more concerned he becomes. He lowers his arms, resting his hands over her hips instead. “Raven, tell me what happened.”

She doesn’t pull away, in fact squeezes harder, and he feels her suck in a shaky breath. 

“I was walking back up here, to the counselor’s cabins, and I got caught up thinking and Monty and Jasper got too far ahead of me.”

A sinking feeling comes over him then, and he knows without her even having to say it that Finn got to her. He makes a huge effort to tamp down the absolute fury that churns through him, intent on comforting Raven and finding out exactly what occurred. 

“I’ve got you now, he’s gone.”

Raven shudders again. “As soon as I noticed I fell behind, I hurried to catch up, but Finn came out of nowhere, and he pushed me off the path, up against a tree. I struggled, I wanted to get away but I couldn’t. My back got all scratched up and he covered my mouth so I couldn’t scream.” She rubs her cheek against his shirt, the wet tracks of her tears dampening the soft material. “It was so fast. It didn’t feel fast while it was happening, but it was. I stumbled in here after and Luna made me feel better.”

“What did he say to you, Raven?” 

The bastard was a talker, he could already see that much for himself, and between the kisses at the bonfire and the bookshop and even the impulsive one he’d given her last night after dinner, Finn had to be seething. Hell, the look on his face outside the bookshop window had been enough for Murphy to know that they were getting to him, and he’d been in a constant state of unease over just what retaliation was going to come. He’d been nagging Raven endlessly about not being alone, doing everything he could to be with her himself or make sure that someone in their friend group would be there, but he should have known Finn would find a way to isolate her no matter his efforts. The realization comes to him that if he hadn't gotten sidetracked with Lincoln and Miller on his own way back to the cabins after finding Raven's classroom empty, maybe he could have protected her. He clenches his jaw, knowing he's no more to blame than Raven is but feeling responsible all the same. 

“He was angry, like we knew he would be. He said the same stuff as always, how we should be together and how _he’s_ really the one I’m meant for. He said I was throwing myself at you, that I’m trying to make him jealous.” Raven sits up, pulling away as she wipes her eyes and looks at him. “It’s my fault. You kept saying that I needed to be so careful and I shouldn’t have gotten distracted.”

“No, no. Raven, god I wish you would get it through your thick head that none of this is_ your _fault! Finn is the asshole here, he’s the one doing all of this, and I’m not going to let you try to take responsibility for any of it, you got that?”

After a moment, she nods at him, and now that the blanket is gone, Murphy can see the leaves in her tangled hair and the way her shoulders are hunched as though she’s in pain. He reaches up, pulling out a few pine needles. She’s not as convinced as he wants her to be that this isn’t her fault, and even though he's got his own feelings of guilt running through him, most importantly right now, he’s _ sure _ she’s not telling him everything. 

“Tell me the rest. Remember, you promised no secrets.”

Annoyance flickers over her face for a brief moment, telling him he’s right, but he’s not upset with her about it. He understands more than most that vulnerability is uncomfortable, and this whole fucked up situation means that she has to reveal herself more than she might be ready for. 

Raven sighs, her eyes darting around the room. “He said that you don’t really care about me because if you did, you would have confronted him over what you saw in my classroom that first day. That I had to push you away - break up with you. Or that Finn would find a way to get rid of you if I wouldn’t.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” he says, his voice hard. “And I wouldn’t be even if you did try to push me away, so don’t get any ideas about doing something for my own good like you’re doing with Clarke, got it?”

“Okay.” She looks up at him, too grateful for his liking. “Thanks, Murphy.”

He wants to talk about what she told him, wants to convince her once and for all that this isn’t on _ her _and never would be. Wants to tell her that he’s not scared of Finn in any way except for how he could harm Raven even more than he already has, but he can’t wait any longer to know the extent of her injuries. She’s been fidgeting on the bed, her mouth tight at the edges when she’s not talking, and he suspects it hurts more than she’s letting on. 

“Let me see the damage,” he orders gruffly, fingers pressing on her hip slightly to encourage her to turn away from him. She does, slowly, moving her legs away from him so she can twist her torso, and it’s not a surprise to see the back of her t-shirt is ripped and bloodstained, his urge to curse at the sight of it hard to control. 

“Can I take this off?” Murphy fingers the bottom of her t-shirt, lifting it up off her lower back, and Raven mumbles a soft ‘okay’ as he raises it further. The green fabric sticks to some of the bloody cuts, and it’s slow going each time he has to gently peel the shirt away from a wound, Raven stoically keeping quiet. 

Finally he gets it up and over her head, aware it’s uncomfortable for Raven to stretch her arms up to get it all the way off. He pushes her hair over her shoulder, his fingers brushing over her bra strap and chilled skin as he takes in the myriad scratches and gouges that criss-cross her back. There’s at least three deeper gashes that he can see, although thankfully most of them don’t look as serious. 

“You’re pretty bloody and there’s a lot of scratches, and you need to get cleaned up to know for sure, but I think that only a few go deep.” He looks at his watch. “We still have plenty of time before dinner. Do you want to go to the infirmary?”

Raven looks over her shoulder at him, alarmed. “I don’t want Clarke to know about this, and she’ll be there now if I go. Can you do it?”

He nods, a little reluctant but unable to say no. “Yeah. Gimme a minute, alright? I’ve got a first aid kit in my cabin and I’ve got a camera in my bag too. We’ll add a new picture to the fucking collection.” He’s pissed, and he can’t stop it from seeping into his words even though it makes Raven flinch when she hears it. 

Murphy storms out of the cabin before she can even attempt to speak, knowing he’s going to end up throwing something if hears her take any more responsibility for what Finn did to her. She thinks too much of this is her fault, and he hates that he can’t make her see that she’s completely innocent. 

The first aid kit is just where he left it, and it only takes a moment to grab one of his digital cameras and some hand sanitizer out of his backpack, but he stops near his bed to calm himself down before going back to Raven’s cabin. No matter how angry he’s feeling at what’s happened to her, he doesn’t want her to see it all, needs to be in control of his temper so she won’t be any more upset than she already is. He walks slowly down the steps, deliberately giving himself more time until his hands aren’t clenched in fists any longer and his shoulders have lost their tenseness. 

Raven’s pulled the curtains around her bed while he was gone, giving herself privacy while she sits in just her shorts and bra, her hair now pulled into a careless pile on top of her head. It makes him all the more conscious that they’re alone in the cabin when he tugs the long curtain closed behind him, hiding them from any prying eyes outside. He already knows her well enough to see that she’s nervous due to the way she’s anxiously smoothing the wrinkles out of her blanket, and he figures it’s a good guess that she knows he’s angry, making him all the more determined to keep himself composed. 

“Can you lay down on your stomach?”

She does so somewhat awkwardly, pillowing her head on her folded arms and digging her bare feet under the edge of the castoff blanket, and he sits on the edge of her bed near her hip, setting the first aid kit near her elbow. 

“I’m not mad at _ you_, you know that right?” Murphy gently rests his fingers just above the waistband of her shorts, disturbed again at the sight of her wounds. 

“I know you’re not, but I still feel sorry about it.” Raven’s face is turned away from him. “It’s my fault that you’re caught up in this, and I hate that Finn might try to hurt you just because you’re helping me.”

“Hey, I told you, none of that. I _ want _ to help you, and I don’t give a shit if Finn comes after me. Hell, I’d welcome it since it would mean I could beat the crap out of him like he deserves.” It would be a relief, actually, if Finn turned his desire for revenge away from Raven and towards himself, but he’ll keep that thought a secret since it’s likely to only increase Raven’s anxiety. Instead, Murphy turns on his camera, focusing on documenting Raven’s most recent injuries at Finn’s hands. 

“Lie still for me while I take a few pictures, alright?” 

They’re quiet for a few minutes as he captures the images, careful to include the more superficial scratches as well as the worst ones. When he’s finished, he slathers his hands with the antibacterial liquid then opens the seal on a wet gauze pad to gently start cleaning Raven’s back. “He was right about one thing, Reyes. I should have confronted him after he hurt you that first day.”

“No, you shouldn’t have,” Raven says sharply. “It wouldn’t do me any good for you to get in a fight with him, and it would actually make me feel worse, knowing you could get in trouble over it.”

“It would make _ me _ feel better,” Murphy mutters petulantly, imagining the pleasure he’d experience over punching Finn in the face, even knowing it wouldn’t solve Raven’s problem. 

He gets closer to one of the deepest scrapes with the gauze and although he’s careful, Raven recoils anyway, her back rising up off the bed as pained gasp slips from her lips. 

“Sorry, sorry!” Immediately his fingers slide over the unmarred patch of skin next to the abrasion, seeking to soothe the unintentional hurt.

“It’s okay,” Raven breathes out, “it’s not your fault but it sort of burns when you get near it.”

“That was a deeper one. It’s probably going to hurt when I put the medicine on it too. Are you sure you don’t want to go to the infirmary? Maybe we’ll get lucky and Clarke will already be gone. There’s probably something they can give you that’s better than this stuff I have.”

“No, I don’t want to risk it. I’ll have to think of something to say about what happened and I can’t think of anything yet. Anyway, I just want to get it over with. Keep going and I’ll try to be still.”

Murphy scowls above her, admiring her fortitude but wishing there was no reason she needed it. He does what she asks, cleaning the blood off her back until he’s satisfied he’s gotten it all. Starting with the smaller scratches and abrasions, he delicately rubs in the antibiotic ointment, and Raven only stiffens a few times. 

“There’s three that look the most serious. Everything else is cleaned and will probably scab over and heal pretty well, though I bet you’re gonna get itchy in the process. These last ones aren’t too long but they’re deeper so they’ll need bandages in addition to the medicine. It’s probably going to be uncomfortable when I do this part.”

“I’m ready.”

Starting with the one near the top of her back, Murphy squeezes the salve onto his finger and tries to be as gentle as possible. It still hurts though, if the shudder that runs through her is any indication, and he’s not really thinking of anything but making her feel better when he impulsively leans down and blows his breath across the cut, hoping to take away the sting.

Raven’s skin erupts in goosebumps with the action, and something shifts in him then. He’s aware she’s only in her bra - he’d taken off her shirt himself, damn it. But it hadn’t been _ that _ difficult to ignore any thoughts about her body, to be almost clinical since that’s what the situation called for and he needed to take care of her. It’s different suddenly, with his mouth so close to the line of her shoulder, and his imagination runs free, wondering what she’d do if he tilts his head just the slightest bit more to kiss the spot just above where his fingers lay. His free hand has been splayed over her hip while he’s worked, and he flexes his fingers now, tightening his grip. 

“That makes it feel better,” Raven almost whispers, and it’s enough to pull him out of his fantasy. 

He sits up abruptly, removing both hands from her body, all the more conscious of her almost-naked back and the pale lavender straps of her bra that stand out against her skin. Gritting his teeth, he reminds himself this is no more revealing than seeing Raven in a bathing suit, but that advice doesn’t help at all, instead conjuring up plans on just how he can make that happen while visions of her dressed in a wet, skimpy bikini flicker through his mind. He shakes it off, willing away the familiar twinges of arousal. 

“Good,” he manages, all at once glad it worked as well as rattled that he’s going to have to control himself and do it two more times. “Maybe it’ll be easier if you distract yourself by talking while we do the other ones.”

Wishful thinking, maybe, but he’s the one who needs the distraction and he's hoping she'll buy it. Raven must think it’s a viable suggestion though, because there’s a short silence but then she speaks. 

“Luna was here when I came in, right after it happened, I mean. She could tell I was upset, and I ended up blurting out everything that’s been going on to her.” 

“That’s probably a good thing, right? I know you’ve been torn about wanting to share things with Clarke at the same time you’re trying to protect her. Maybe it’ll help that you got it all out to Luna.” He reaches a hand up to her shoulder, stroking his fingers over the smooth skin there almost as consolation for what he has to do next, and maybe a little bit for himself too. 

She nods, and braces her body for the ache as she keeps talking. “Part of me definitely wants to tell Clarke, but I know it’ll only put her in danger since she'll want to be involved.”

Closing his eyes, he puffs his warm breath over the second cut, figuring if he can’t see _ her _ reaction, it might lessen his own. It doesn’t quite work out that way since he can hear the soft little sigh she makes, and he concentrates on not letting it get to him as he keeps his words steady. 

“I have to do the last one now, okay?”

“Luna is a good listener,” Raven begins, her fingers tightening on the covers beneath her, voice wavering when his fingers spread the medicine onto her remaining cut as he blows away the sting again. “I told her we’re not actually together, just pretending so we can try to get evidence against Finn.”

Murphy’s breath stutters for a moment, uncertain. Hoping she didn’t notice, he resumes a steady stream of air over the last deep scratch, gently rubbing the salve along the jagged edges of the wound. He wants to ask how Luna reacted, but he’s also afraid of the answer. Luna’s the most perceptive person he knows, and isn’t one to keep her opinions to herself if she thinks she can help. Raven doesn’t say anything further, and before he can think better of it, his question bursts loose. 

“What did she say?”

“She just said ‘I see’, and she nodded in that wise way she has.”

It doesn’t tell him much, although maybe he should be thankful Luna didn’t pick things apart before he even knows what he’ll do himself. This latest incident, while not completely unexpected, has him rattled and no matter what his feelings are, keeping Raven safe has to be his top priority. He quickly pulls the bandages from the first aid kit and neatly adheres them where they're needed.

“Alright, I think I’m finished. The medicine will help everything heal but whenever you shower you’re gonna need to put more ointment on after. You could be looking at an infection or even scarring if you don’t. It’s definitely a good thing Luna knows now - I’m sure she’ll help you if you can’t reach.” Murphy stands, feeling eager to put some distance between their bodies. “We still have some time before dinner.”

“I don’t want to be around anyone. I feel drained and I just want to rest, even if it’s only for a little while. Will you stay here with me?” Raven rolls stiffly onto her side, making a space for him to lay next to her. She looks up at him and he can see the pain and exhaustion in her dark eyes. 

He thinks about all the things he could say - the worries weighing on his mind about their situation, his own complicated feelings he’s trying to sort out, the knowledge that laying down next to her isn’t exactly going to be relaxing, especially after the vivid pictures that were just in his head… Or he could say what a tangled mess everything is and how he’s sorry this is all happening but at the same time he could never regret how it’s made it possible for him to know her. He doesn’t say any of it though, just toes off his shoes. Eventually he’s going to find a way to tell her all of it, but for now they both need something else. Murphy sits again on the edge of the bed, slowly stretching out on his back as Raven watches him closely. 

She raises up from the pillow and nudges the side of his shoulder with her nose until he lifts his arm so she can duck under and move closer. Mindful of the damage to her back, he extends his arm behind her neck, his fingers lightly squeezing her bare shoulder as they settle into the quiet, her head nestled close to his chin. He stares up at the wooden beams across the ceiling, letting the steady cadence of her breathing ease away his jumbled thoughts, content to hold her until they have to get up. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who has left comments and/or kudos! As always, it is much appreciated! 💕  



	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo... hopefully everyone subscribes to the belief of better late than never? If you're still with me on this one, my sincere appreciation! NaNoWriMo is slow going this time around and I'm blaming my kids, but I promise I am slogging along and fully committed to finishing this and that other one I've got going that's even more behind! If you celebrate it, I wish you all a warm and safe Thanksgiving! And as always, come find me on tumblr if you ever want to chat about these two characters who I am obsessed with. I need some BTS leaks and dirt already!!

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/170152452@N02/48573083147/in/dateposted-public/)

Dinner is louder than usual with all the counselors and staff both excited and reluctant for the campers to start arriving in the morning. Those who have worked previous summers are busy lording their knowledge over the newbies, joking and taunting about how much work it’s going to be. Raven looks around at all the enthusiastic faces of her new friends, wishing she could feel as carefree as they are with their jokes and smiles. She’d gotten a short nap while lying in her bed with Murphy, but she still feels depleted from her latest encounter with Finn and the weight of what to do about him resting on her shoulders. 

It isn’t until Clarke kicks her ankle under the table that Raven realizes just how out of the conversation she’s been. She looks up in surprise at her friend, eyes wide. “Ow, Clarke! What was that for?”

“I said your name a few times and you were just completely zoned out. Are you okay?”

Raven musters a grin, not wanting to Clarke to dig too deep. “Kind of tired, hoping tomorrow goes well, you know?”

“And maybe add stressed out because Finn’s here,” Clarke suggests knowingly. 

“That too.”

“I know we haven’t had a lot of time to discuss what we should do about him, and I’m sorry I’ve been busy. But I promise I’ve been thinking about it. He hasn’t tried anything with you, has he?”

Not wanting to lie outright, Raven frantically searches for a way to answer Clarke’s question. “Nothing I can’t handle,” she settles on, as she represses the twinge of guilt she feels for not being completely honest. 

Clarke’s eyes narrow slightly, but she doesn’t press the issue. “Are you and Murphy going to come out on the water tonight? Maybe we can get some time to talk then - and not just for figuring out how to solve the Finn problem either. I’ve really been wanting to tell you about everything going on with me and Bellamy.”

Turning away from her best friend’s smitten expression for a moment, Raven glances next to her to see that Murphy’s still occupied in a rowdy conversation with Lincoln, Bellamy and Miller. She’d heard the chatter about everyone going canoeing on the lake, and while she and Murphy hadn’t really talked about it, she’d just assumed they’d go. Now though… the last thing she wants is to be under Finn’s watchful eye, and there was every reason to suspect that he’d be there. 

“I’m not sure. I don’t want to be up late, and you know how cranky I can get when I don’t get enough sleep,” Raven forces herself to tease, wanting to erase the growing concern on Clarke’s face. 

“True. Or maybe you just want to spend a little alone time before the chaos hits,” Clarke says slyly, tilting her head towards Murphy. 

It might not be the biggest factor in why she isn’t feeling like going out with the group, but being alone with Murphy wouldn’t ever be something she’d be against either. In fact, the more she thinks about it, that’s exactly what she wants. Tomorrow _ is _ going to be chaos, and in addition to her need for a calm evening after the stress from earlier, she wants to get Murphy’s opinion on the change of plans that’s started to nag at her. Not to mention it’s not escaped her notice how much happier she feels when she’s with him, and Luna’s words about not having to distance herself have been feeling all the more right. 

“I wouldn’t complain about it,” Raven concedes airily, and when Clarke laughs, it’s too infectious for Raven not to join in. 

“What did we miss?” Bellamy asks, his attention drawn to Clarke. 

“Just girl talk.” Clarke winks obviously at Raven, then pulls Bellamy into a conversation of their own, leaving Raven to smile down at her barely touched plate and consider how to get out of canoeing the night away. 

“Hey. You good if I fill Bellamy in on a little of what happened earlier?” Murphy’s soft words pull her out of her thoughts. 

“Yeah. He should know that Finn might be escalating.” Raven murmurs. “I’m thinking I’m not really feeling the big crowd at the lake tonight. Would you be alright if I skipped it?” She scrutinizes his face for a reaction, wondering if he might be relieved at the possibility of having a night off from being her ‘boyfriend’, reminding herself firmly she has no right to be upset if that’s the case, no matter how much her own feelings are becoming clearer to her. 

“No, I don’t mind,” he shrugs, prompting Raven’s brain to hurriedly search for a way to ask him if he wants to hang out with just _ her _when he comments further. 

“It’s a nice night, and even though people are joking about it, tomorrow _ is _ gonna be a really long day if experience is anything to go by. If you want, we could go to the woods and get that picture of the meadow with the fireflies, and still probably be back to our cabins before the group going out on the lake.”

His suggestion is perfect, exactly what she wants to do as soon as she hears it, and the little knot of doubt that built in her belly at the thought that he might prefer to spend the evening away from her is soothed. Maybe she’s overthinking things but after this latest altercation with Finn, the various complications she’s brought into Murphy’s life are all the more obvious, made all the worse since he’s helped her world become so much more bearable. He’s watching her expectantly since she hasn’t answered though, and she wants him to know how much she likes his offer, so she smiles a little brighter than she’s actually feeling, nodding her head appreciatively. 

“I’ll ask Bellamy to go with me to the Arts Pavilion to get some of my camera equipment,” he explains, “and that way I can tell him the latest. So stick with Clarke and the others when you leave here, alright? I’ll come by your cabin once I have everything and we’ll go.”

“Make sure he understands not to let Clarke out of his sight tonight. Finn might go down to the lake with everyone and if he doesn’t see me, maybe he’d move his attention to her.”

“Oh, I’ll be telling him, don’t worry.” Murphy’s eyes dart briefly across the room, but Raven doesn’t need to turn her head to know that he’s glaring at Finn. She’s actively avoided looking over to where he’s sitting, but she’s felt his stare a few times during dinner and had to fight off the feeling of being cornered even with so many people around. 

“We’ll be careful, and I’ll make sure he won’t follow us into the woods, so you’ll be safe knowing he won’t be able to find us in the tree house, okay? I know it’s basically impossible to forget what happened earlier but maybe you can relax a little while we’re up there.”

“If anything can help me forget about it for a little while, it’ll be that view,” Raven tells him, but what she already knows is that his company is going to be the biggest reason she’ll feel better. 

  
  


****

  
  


Murphy stands outside the doors to The Ark, waiting for Bellamy as Clarke and Raven start up the path with the energetic group of their friends to head back to the counselor cabins. Raven had leaned in and kissed him on the cheek right before she’d stepped away with Clarke, and he hadn’t been expecting the affectionate gesture. He doesn’t take his eyes off Raven’s retreating form as she walks away, and Bellamy’s playful slap to his shoulder knocks him back into awareness just before he gives in to the urge to run his fingers over the spot where her lips had been. 

“Stop pining,” Bellamy laughs, “and tell me why I’ve gotta trek all the way back down to the Arts building with you when we both know what we should really be doing is getting some sleep before all hell breaks loose tomorrow.”

“Like you’d ever miss the chance to try and impress Clarke with your paddling skills out on the lake later. You’re not going to do the smart thing and sleep any more than I am,” Murphy says as they pass a few people casually mingling around the building, making plans for the last night before campers arrive. 

“Hey, I said we _ should _ get some sleep, not that I was _ going _ to. And aren’t you taking a canoe out yourself? I don’t think I’m the only one eager to get a little privacy, no matter what you say about this all being an act. You might be fooling some people but you’re not fooling me.”

Taking a quick scan across the path behind them to confirm they’re far enough away from everyone else, Murphy speaks more openly, though he decides to ignore Bellamy’s teasing for the moment. “Finn attacked Raven on her way back to the cabins earlier. Her back got all scratched up from where he shoved her into the trees.” He holds up a hand to stop Bellamy from interrupting. “No, before you ask, she said it happened real fast and no one else saw it.”

“Shit. Is she okay?”

Murphy shakes his head in frustration. “She’s holding it together pretty well considering, but it’s really getting to her and I know she’s even more worried about Clarke based on some of the things he said. Keep your eyes on things tonight and double check Clarke’s schedule the next couple of days to see where any gaps are.”

“Definitely. So does that mean you aren’t coming out tonight?”

“No, Raven said she wasn’t feeling that social, and I don’t blame her. There’s a good view she likes from my tree house, so we’re going there instead. Maybe it’ll take her mind off things for a little while, at least.”

“Wait, wait. Wait a minute,” Bellamy protests, halting in his tracks. “You’ve never taken anyone up there before! Are you telling me that after all these years, _ I _ still haven’t been up in this legendary tree house, but you’ve broken your own rule and showed Raven _ and _ she gets to go back already?”

“You’d have just wanted to use it for trysts with girls all the time,” Murphy accuses, “and that’s not what I built it for.”

“Says the guy who’s taking a girl there tonight!”

“It’s not like that,” he says, but even to his own ears it rings false. “Raven’s different.”

Bellamy snorts sarcastically. “And that’s what I’ve been saying! I’m serious, Murphy. She’s gotten to you from the beginning, and as someone who’s known you for practically forever, I can see that there’s more going on than just you trying to help her out with this boyfriend charade. Admit it to yourself at least, even if you won’t admit it to me.”

“What do you want me to say, Bell?” Murphy stalks up to the door of his photography studio, yanking the key from around his neck. “Okay, fine, she got me interested the first night we met, before I knew anything about what was going on with her. And now that I know her better, so what if it’s not really pretending on my part? It doesn’t matter because that’s not how it is for her.”

“If you care about her, then it does matter. You have to tell her how you feel, man. Don’t give me any of this crap about it not being how it is for her - you don’t know how she feels if you haven’t even talked about it. I’ve seen the way Raven acts around you, and it isn’t just a bunch of gratitude. Hell, you both got everybody around here convinced you’re a couple in just a few days. That doesn’t come from nothing.”

Murphy takes in Bellamy’s sincere face, some of his agitation dissipating at his friends reassuring words. “When did you get so invested in my love life?”

“Who said anything about love?” Bellamy retorts with a wide grin, but they both know he’s made his point. 

Murphy gathers his tripod and a few other essentials he wants for the meadow pictures, and the two walk back to the path, quietly discussing the situation with Finn and how Murphy has hinted to Kane that there’s something to be wary about. They make a few preparations to ensure Raven and Clarke aren’t anywhere on their own for the next few days, but neither of them have thought of anything better than the current plan. Murphy reminds Bellamy again to be on guard at the lake, and before they get too close to the cabins with all their buzzing activity, Bellamy offers another piece of advice. 

“You know the summer is going to fly by once the kids arrive. Don’t waste time wondering.”

  
  


***

Murphy stops at his cabin to throw a few more things into his backpack before knocking at Raven’s door, and once they get deeper into the trees, he mutters that he’s going to take the long way around just in case they’re being followed. It’s cool and earthy under the canopy of the pines, and he can see the set of Raven’s shoulders relaxes more and more the farther they get away from camp. 

“If he was following us, we’ve lost him by now,” Murphy observes, climbing up onto a wide, fallen tree trunk. 

Raven follows gingerly behind him. “Thanks for being okay with missing the group event. It sounded fun but I don’t think I can pretend for a few hours tonight.”

_ Pretend_, Murphy cringes to himself. _ There’s that word again_. It makes Bellamy’s advice echo through his head once more, not that he’s been able to think of much else since they talked. Just how good at pretending was Raven, anyway? Did she suspect that he sucks at it, and if so, then what does she think? All the possibilities, the unknown… it makes his brain hurt. Was it fair to her to lay his feelings at her feet right while she’s in the middle of a mess with her ex? Maybe that would be selfish of _ him_, to expect her to have the capacity to deal with his emotional outpouring when she already has so many things going on. Or would it actually help clear things up, if she feels the same way? He’s distracted with the barrage of his thoughts, not realizing he’s stopped to stare out into the forest when he feels her hand come to rest on the back of his wrist. 

“Murphy? Are you alright?” 

Her head is tilted, concern stamped all over her features, and it’s so easy to take her hand when it’s already so close. There’s no hesitation when her fingers lace with his, and he wishes the words would come as easily as the touches do. 

“Yeah, just thinking.” He looks away from her questioning dark eyes, but he presses his palm tighter against hers. “I’ll need a little time to set up my camera, so let’s hurry.”

If she’s bothered that he doesn’t offer any further explanation, she doesn’t comment on it, falling into step beside him as they jump back down onto the soft ground of the forest. 

***

Miserable. That’s the way Raven had described it to Luna, but it wasn’t quite right. Falling in love with Murphy wasn’t what made her feel miserable, no. _ That _felt amazing and freeing and like the air in the forest that had her feeling renewed with the first breath she took of it. The miserable part was only when she thought about him not feeling the same way. Luna was right to comment that Murphy cared about her, she did know that part was true, but what about the rest of it? How important was she to him, and the why of it, that was really key. Did he want to help her for more reasons other than he was just being decent? He’d certainly been willing to take it rather far actually, letting her prod him into being her fake boyfriend without much protest. But did that mean he felt anything more than friendship towards her? She didn’t know, but god she needed to find out. 

She’d been glad that they’d get away from everyone tonight, that she’d have him to herself, but then it had occurred to her as she’d walked back to the cabin with Clarke that maybe she should use the privacy to ask the questions that had been festering inside her since that first spectacular kiss. 

Was she brave enough? Stealing glances at him while they hike hand in hand towards the tree house, she knows she _ wants _ to be, and it would be worth making a fool of herself if it meant he wanted to be with her for real. But if she was wrong, if he just wanted to be friends, not only would it break her heart but the truth was she wasn’t sure if she could get through everything with Finn without having Murphy’s support. Maybe she was weaker than she thought, but ever since that first afternoon when Finn had first found her near the vending machines, Murphy had made her feel _ safe_. She’d liked his personality the night before, definitely, and that feeling that she had someone in her corner, someone who made her feel stronger just with their presence… It meant a lot, and she didn’t think she was ready to do this on her own, and more, she really didn’t want to. 

Annoyed with herself for going in circles with her thoughts, it’s a reprieve when she recognizes they’re finally in the right area of the woods and the tree house is in sight again. She doesn’t know when he found the time, but as they approach the trunk, there’s evidence that Murphy’s made some changes. 

“Hey, you put more pegs in! I can reach them now!” Touched by the gesture, Raven squeezes Murphy’s fingers excitedly, watching as a slight grin lifts the corners of his mouth. 

“Don’t go getting a big ego, because I didn’t do it for you. I’ve been thinking I should probably let Bellamy come up here finally, and he’d never find it if I didn’t make it more obvious.”

His blatant lie surprises a laugh out of her, but she doesn’t call him out on it. They both know he did it for her, and she revels in the warmth that spreads through her with the knowledge. 

“I’ll go up first just to make sure nothing’s loose. Can you actually listen this time and not look down?” He’s teasing her, his blue eyes sparkling in the filtered sunlight, and the ugliness of what happened earlier feels so far away and it’s all because of him. 

She swallows the emotional lump stuck in her throat at the realization. Maybe she is brave enough. “Believe me, I’m listening.” 

He quirks an eyebrow at her, unsure what her words mean, and then he’s off, climbing up into the branches until he pauses two-thirds of the way up, calling down to her. 

“Your turn, Raven. Be careful.”

There’s no trouble reaching the pegs this time, and she takes it slow and steady for both her discomfort at the height and in order not to aggravate the scratches on her body. It’s an easier reach at the top too, since he drove in more pegs so she wouldn’t have trouble, but as dangerous as it was before, she misses the way he had to climb around her on that first visit in order to help her get to the platform. She pauses for a moment, remembering how he’d felt so solid at her back, and then she gets her arms and legs into position to push her knees onto the floor of the tree house and the climb is over. But then Murphy’s there in front of her, holding out his hand to help her to her feet under the wide limbs weaving all around them, and it’s good too, letting him pull her up and steady her. It’s what he’s been doing since they met, really, and it’s incredible to think she’s only known him for days, considering how important he is to her now. 

“Thanks,” she murmurs, meeting his eyes and willing him to discern it’s for so much more than helping her stand. 

“You’re welcome.” 

Murphy’s hand warms hers, sending tingles under her skin, and she’s just about to put her thoughts into words when a loud thud sounds out behind them, breaking the spell. Raven cranes her neck around Murphy’s body to see that his backpack has fallen forward, creating the noise. 

“Thankfully I packed my camera in its case,” Murphy explains, his hand falling away as he turns aside to pick up the bag. “Otherwise that could’ve been expensive. Looks like it was just the tripod.” He examines the piece carefully. “We’re good, but I better get this set up if we want to catch the show in all its glory.”

“You take care of all that, and I’ll get out the blanket,” Raven volunteers, moving over to reach into the lidded box alongside the tree trunk. 

“On it.”

She gets finished before he does, and settles onto the blanket, her back propped up by the cushion. They timed it pretty well even after the longer hike in the woods to make sure Finn wasn’t following them, and only the first fireflies are starting to appear when Murphy quits fiddling with the camera, apparently satisfied with the setup. 

“I guarantee at least one frameable photo from tonight’s efforts,” he promises, and she rolls her eyes at him, knowing he’s fishing for compliments. 

“Please. I’ve seen your pictures hanging in the Arts Pavilion and The Ark, and I didn’t get very close but I’d bet money that some of the ones on the wall in Mrs. Owens’ ice cream shop are yours, too. I’m gonna end up with too many to choose from and I won’t be able to make up my mind, and then I’ll have to buy more frames.”

A satisfied smile crosses his lips as he sits on the blanket next to her. “Alright, I _ might _know what I’m doing. Some of the ones Mrs. O has up are from when I was a kid though - they’re not actually very good but she won’t take them down. I’ve gotten a lot better since then.”

“That’s because she’s proud of you,” Raven says confidently, remembering the woman’s happiness that Murphy was back in town. 

“Yeah, she’s pretty great. She and Kane are a big reason I wanted to pursue photography as part of my major. They were both always really supportive.”

“I’m glad you have them in your corner, and while I don’t know that much about photography, I know what I like. I’m surprised I haven’t seen any pictures of this place, though. It’d be a pretty big selling point for the camp.” Raven waves a hand out towards the meadow in front of them, which is gradually getting even more beautiful with the arrival of dozens of fireflies. 

Murphy slides forward, avoiding her eyes as he pushes a few buttons on the camera again, his leg brushing against hers. “It’s strange now that you say it out loud, but I’ve never taken pictures up here before even though this is one of my favorite things about Camp Jaha. It’s always been like an escape, a private one. I guess I didn’t really want to share it with other people.”

Their conversation is ostensibly about the view, but Raven knows from the comment he made the first time he brought her here that she’s been the only one he’s shown this structure to. She’s not sure what prompted him to do it, but there’s no doubt it makes her feel special. 

“I’m really happy you showed it to _ me_.” 

He doesn’t react at first, instead playing with the camera settings to the point where she thinks he’s going to ignore her comment, but then he slides backwards until he’s next to her again, his head turning towards her as she’s pinned in place by the intensity in his eyes. 

“So am I.”

It would be so easy to lean in, to press her lips against his, and maybe he’d understand what she was trying to say without her having to utter a word. But she doesn’t want any room for misinterpretation, not when it’s so important to her. 

“Murphy, I’ve been thinking,” she begins, only to have her anxiety get the best of her as she stares back at him. “I - well, I’ve decided I can’t go through with the original plan for Finn anymore.”

Something that could be disappointment passes quickly over his face though it’s gone before Raven can fully decipher it.

“Oh? Are you - do you want to stage a break-up or something? I meant it when I told you I’m not going anywhere, if you’re still trying to push me away for my own good.”

“No, _ no_! I mean, no I hadn’t actually thought that far ahead,” Raven stammers. “I wasn’t thinking about breaking up. It’s just that today really confirmed how unhinged Finn has gotten. As much as I really want to ensure he’s kept away from Clarke and me, I really can’t allow him to be around kids. It’s been a concern from the beginning, what he’s capable of, but I really thought I was the target. But earlier… it’s clear he doesn’t care who gets caught up in this as long as he gets what he wants. No one is safe while he’s around and I can do something about that.”

Murphy’s expression softens. “I know it’s not what you were hoping for, but I think it’s the right choice. How do you want to handle it?”

Sighing, Raven looks out over the short railing made of branches, taking in the sea of glittering fireflies and letting the vista calm her. “The first time I'm off is on Day Three of the schedule this week. I was thinking I’d try to get an appointment with Director Jaha that morning and I’d tell him everything that’s been going on. With you catching part of what happened in my classroom that first day, and the pictures of the injuries I’ve gotten, and then Luna seeing me come into the cabin today looking a mess and obviously upset, I think there’s enough evidence in my favor to at least get him kicked out of camp.”

“Even though it means once the summer is over, you’ll have to deal with him again,” Murphy adds, saying aloud what she left unspoken. 

“Yeah, even though,” Raven nods grimly. “And before the summer is over, I’m going to have to come clean to Clarke about all of it too. If he’s forced out of Camp Jaha, he’s only going to get more furious with me, not less, and Clarke needs to know she could be in danger as soon as we leave here.” The chilling thought sends a shudder rippling through her and she crosses her arms protectively over her middle, anxiously rubbing her hands up and down in an attempt to allay her fears. 

“Hey, come here.” Murphy raises his arm in invitation and Raven doesn’t hesitate, nestling into his side to rest her head on his shoulder as he wraps his arms around her in a gentle hug, careful to avoid the largest injuries on her back. 

“With Finn being a new counselor, Kane’ll stick pretty close to him these first few days, making sure he’s handling things properly. That will work to keep him busy until this is over. If you want, I’ll go with you to see Jaha.”

Raven breathes out a loud sigh at the welcome offer. “That would be _ great_, thank you.”

“You kept a lot of this to yourself before, but it’s different now. When the summer is over, it’s not like everyone is going to abandon you and Clarke. Stanford and USC aren’t on opposite sides of the world, you know.”

_ No, they’re about six hours apart_, she remembers, having already calculated the distance as soon as she realized Murphy was starting to matter to her. The thought that he’s considered it too makes her sit up, pulling slightly out of his embrace so she can see his face. 

“Would you come visit me, after we go back to school?” It takes effort to get the question out past the ball of hopefulness that’s bouncing wildly in her stomach. 

“If you want me to, yeah,” Murphy promises. 

“I want you to.” Raven hastens to assure him, the fingers of her left hand nervously fumbling against the hem of his shirt near his hip. She takes a deep breath, determined to finally take her chances. “And I better get the rest of this out before I lose my nerve.”

He cocks his head, concerned, but Raven waves him off with a flick of her wrist. “No, just listen. I told you already that I couldn’t have handled all this without you, and I meant it, but it’s more than that. I’ve been scared for what feels like such a long time, but when I’m with you, I feel safe again. It sounds crazy, right, because we only just met, but I know I can trust you even though my track record _ sucks_, and I like being with you so much and it’s not just because you’re looking out for me either. I know this because when you kiss me I never want it to end and also I might’ve left a few things out about what Luna said about us only pretending to date because I definitely told her I was falling in love with you.”

There, that was messy but it was the bulk of it, anyway. Raven takes another shaky breath in, somehow both drained and energized by putting her feelings into words as she waits for Murphy to say something, anything in response to her heartfelt confession. After her hurried speech she feels exposed, her gaze drifting down to her lap, so she risks a look up at him when another moment passes in silence. His blue eyes are wide with astonishment, his mouth slightly parted as though he’s about to speak but nothing comes. 

Patience has never been her strong suit, and her frustration at his lack of reaction wins out over her fear of rejection. “Damn it, Murphy, say _ something_, even if it’s to tell me you don’t-”

Her words are cut off as Murphy fluidly lunges forward, his hands at either side of her face and his lips on hers before she’s even aware of his intent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I mean, I *could* have ended it a sentence earlier, right? 😉  
Thanks for reading and your comments and kudos are always wonderful to receive!


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well I bet you're surprised to see this update! You didn't think I had forgotten about this story, did you? It's later than I wanted but I'm finally wrapping up this fic and I do mean it when I say I'll never abandon a story. We'll have one more chapter after this one. I really appreciate all of you who have stuck with me - writing doesn't always come easily in a busy household with kids!

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/170152452@N02/48799735831/in/dateposted-public/)

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/170152452@N02/48573083147/in/dateposted-public/)

It’s a weight off his shoulders, in more ways than one, when Raven shares her decision to put aside her original plan for Finn and instead report him to Director Jaha. It means she’ll be safe for the rest of the summer and he can’t be sorry for that, not at all, even though it doesn’t solve the problem of Finn completely. He’ll worry about that more later but now, as relieved as he is he’s also selfishly upset that she won’t need their fake relationship any longer. Disappointment washes over him along with the sudden realization that as much as he hates the idea that she’s _ pretending _ with him, he doesn’t want the charade to end either. 

He reminds her he’s not going anywhere, just in case she’s still hung up on wanting to protect him, and when he holds open his arms for her, it isn’t just Raven who takes comfort from the embrace. Murphy decides right then that he’ll hold out until Finn is removed from camp, to let that burden be off Raven’s plate before he adds to it with an admission that he’s crazy about her. Maybe it still won’t be enough time, will still be selfish of him to give her something else she’ll have to sort out, but there’s no way he can keep quiet about it for much longer, not when it feels like it’s already on the tip of his tongue and could spill out at any moment. 

She asks him if he’ll come visit her when the summer is over, and he almost laughs at the absurdity of it, that she doesn’t seem to know he’d go anywhere if it meant seeing her. He swallows the urge and manages a sincere promise instead but then everything gets turned upside-down in some kind of slow motion movie as Raven begins to tell him things that he’s pretty sure mean he must be dreaming. Like how he makes her feel safe and she enjoys being with him, and that when they kiss she’s as caught up in it as he is. And then there’s no doubt he’s hallucinating because she admits she’s falling in love with him, and that’s definitely something he’s been fantasizing a lot about lately. He takes it all in, savoring it so he can replay this particular daydream again later, but then her voice is insistent, unnerved and the tinge of panic he hears as Raven demands he answer her makes him understand that he’s _ not _ imagining this particular scenario. 

Raven actually admitted she has romantic feelings for him and he’s sitting in front of her like an idiot, leaving her vulnerable and annoyed at his lack of response, though the worried look on her face is too adorable for words. Murphy opens his mouth to speak, knowing he has to say _ something _ even though he’s so stunned he’s not even certain he can, but then he remembers he’s always been better with _ doing _ rather than saying, so he leans forward and cups her face, his lips so eager on hers that it blurs together into a single motion. This, he can do. Can tell her with his body just how much he cares for her, that he feels the same way she does. Can show her with the way he swirls his tongue against hers and wraps his hand around the back of her neck that they’re on exactly the same page. 

Murphy wouldn’t have guessed it was possible, but it’s even better, kissing Raven when he isn’t questioning if he’s the only one drowning in it. Now that he knows she’s _ not _ pretending, it only amplifies the heat between them, and he could do this forever, _ wants _ to be touching her like this always and he has no clue how much time passes before she arches herself away from him to draw in an unsteady breath, her wide eyes dark with desire as she looks up at him. 

“So I’m assuming I can take this as a sign that you’re interested,” she murmurs, and he’s so tempted to tilt his head down once more so he can trail his lips across her jaw and down her neck until she shivers. 

Instead, he grins and smoothes his palms under her thighs so he can pull her the short distance into his lap, certain she must be able to read the adoration shining in his eyes as he tucks her legs against his waist. “The word ‘interested’ doesn’t begin to cover it. I think I started falling for you that first night, probably the first time you frowned at me because I annoyed you, and I haven’t stopped thinking about you since. I thought about telling you how I felt, but I figured I should wait until you didn’t have so much to deal with.”

“I couldn’t keep my feelings hidden any more, even with everything going on. I wasn’t expecting you this summer, Murphy, and now I don’t want to imagine my life without you in it.”

He gives in and kisses her again, slow this time because he can, and when he pulls away her eyes lazily blink open to meet his, his words gruff as he rubs his thumb along her cheek. “There’s no getting rid of me as long as you want me around. The morning after we met, I conned my way onto the same bus trip into town that you’d be on, and that was before we ran into each other by the vending machines. I knew then that I was going to find a way to get to know you - I just didn’t know how fast I was going to fall in love with you.”

The bright and happy smile she gives him warms him from the inside out, and he promises himself he’ll do whatever he can to have her look at him like that as often as possible. 

“You know, I was thinking earlier,” Raven shares almost shyly, “about what might have happened if Finn had never followed me here. If we would have become friends anyway. It might’ve taken me a little while to open up though, if circumstances hadn’t been what they were.”

“I can promise you I would’ve given it my best effort,” Murphy teases, pleased that it’s something she’s thought about too. 

“I can promise you it would have worked.” Raven laughs softly and it carries on the breeze, the air around them cooler and the sky a few shades darker since they first arrived. 

“My camera’s set on the timer,” Murphy tilts his head towards his setup, briefly taking in the always-incredible view of the fireflies in the meadow, but right now he has other things on his mind. “Just in case you wanna kiss some more.”

She settles her legs more firmly around his hips, somehow managing to press herself even closer to him in the process. “You must be reading my mind.”

He has just a moment to think about how lucky he is that she feels the same way he does, that this isn’t pretending any longer but _ real_, and then her lips are on his and everything fades but the feel of her in his arms. 

*

_ Everyone was right_, Raven thinks tiredly, as she looks around the busy dining room the next evening. It _ was _chaotic now that the campers had arrived. She’d been on her feet like the rest of the counselors since early that morning, helping kids find their way around and get settled in to their cabins. The first day was mostly an orientation, so she’d had an almost endless rotation of campers come through her classroom as she introduced herself and got the kids excited about the projects they’d be working on, and she was looking forward to the break she’d have after the meal was through. 

Last night she’d spent most of her hours in bed trying to find a comfortable position due to the injuries on her back. Between that and the general sense of anticipation about camp starting, not to mention the astonishing awareness that Murphy returned her feelings, she’d barely slept, and now it was catching up to her. There wasn’t a lot of time to relax between the end of dinner and when she had to help lead one of the nightly nature walks, but it wouldn't matter if she only gets to lay down for ten minutes - she’s going to savor every second of her lack of responsibilities. 

“Regretting your choice of summer job yet?” 

Raven looks up at the sound of the teasing question to see Murphy passing on her left with a tray piled high with used dishes. There are kids darting around the tables, too excited to stay at their seats despite the pleas of their counselors, and Murphy dodges them with the practiced ease of someone who isn’t new to the mayhem of a packed dining room. She hasn’t seen him since breakfast or gotten to kiss him since last night, and she doesn’t care how lovesick it paints her - it’s too long to go without him, and the way her body wakes up in his presence, suddenly energized, makes perfect sense. 

“Nah, there’s a few perks that make up for it,” she assures him, well aware that he’s at the top of that list as far as she’s concerned. 

Murphy grins, deftly lifting his tray higher as a camper who appears to be about seven darts by at full speed, a hapless counselor hot on his heels. “It tends to be the worst in the beginning, with kids testing the boundaries and not knowing the routines yet. Give it a week and meal times will be a lot calmer.” 

“Somehow I have a feeling things around here aren’t ever truly calm.”

Laughing, he nods in agreement. “You make a good point. So you’ve got that nature walk and campfire later, right? Are you heading back to your cabin first or do you have other plans?”

“Oh, I am definitely going back to my cabin. I’ve been thinking about my lumpy mattress for the past few hours, and I can’t wait to throw my body down onto it, even if I will have to get back up again far too soon.”

“Meet me by the side doors after this, and I’ll walk with you, okay? Once I clear my share of the tables in here, I’m done for tonight.”

“Don’t rub it in,” Raven complains, “or you’re just going to make me jealous. Clarke already asked me to wait for her too, so keep an eye out for both of us when you’re finished.”

“I’ll hurry,” Murphy promises, and the lingering look he gives her before he heads over to the kitchen sends a surge of anticipation racing through her, the memory of their unhurried kisses last night heating her cheeks as she watches him walk away. If she has a choice between resting or getting Murphy alone somewhere, well, that’s really not even a question. 

Fifteen minutes later, she’s outside The Ark, leaning against a tree by the side of the building and still thinking about kissing her actual _ boyfriend _ when Clarke jogs over through the crowd of counselors, slinging her arm around Raven’s waist with an affectionate squeeze. 

“Hey! What’s got you all head-in-the-clouds? Something good, I hope!”

“Oh, it’s definitely good,” Raven confirms, almost wishing she could tell Clarke the whole mess of a story right this second, just so she can share that she and Murphy are a _ real _ couple now. But Clarke has no idea that they were pretending before, so Raven bites her tongue, only offering a hint at why she’s so happy. “I’m just so glad we ended up coming here for the summer.”

“Even though Finn followed us?” Clarke asks gently. 

“Yeah, even though.” She’s been deliberately avoiding thinking about Finn, other than the mental countdown to her meeting with Director Jaha and the hope that he’ll just be _ gone _soon, even if it is only a short-term reprieve. But she felt his cruel eyes on her at breakfast, and again at lunch, although she’d refused to give him the satisfaction of acknowledging him. 

“And I’m guessing that has a lot to do with the guy we’re probably waiting for, I bet.”

A brilliant smile tugs at her lips as she scans her eyes over the various counselors exiting the dining hall, watching for Murphy. “I’m completely in love with him, Clarke, and I know it’s crazy fast and not like me but it’s just the truth.”

Clarke’s mouth drops open in surprise. “Oh, wow. I knew you _ liked _ him but I didn’t know it was like _ that_.”

“It really is,” Raven nods, “and I promise I’m going to tell you all about it soon. But for now just look away politely when he gets here, unless you want to see me shamelessly throw myself at him in public.”

“You say that like I wasn’t there at the bonfire where everyone already saw you making out,” Clarke slyly reminds her. 

“Then I suppose that means you won’t mind that I’m about to do it again,” Raven shrugs, unconcerned. The campers all leave via the main entrance, so she’s not worried about impressionable eyes seeing her steal a few kisses. Besides, she doesn’t think she could prevent herself from kissing Murphy now even if she wanted to, and she definitely doesn’t want to. 

“Well before you get carried away, tell me what you’ve got on your schedule until curfew.”

Raven groans softly at the reminder. “At seven I have to meet up with one of the cabins of twelve-year-olds for a night time nature walk and marshmallow-roasting. It’s scheduled for about an hour and a half, so it’s not like I’ll be out late, but I’m tired already. On the bright side, the two other counselors stuck with me are Luna and Maya, so at least that’ll be fun and Luna already knows exactly what we’re supposed to do.”

“Hmm,” Clarke hums, but Raven barely notices since Murphy comes through the doors, his eyes landing on her almost immediately, the grin on his face already so appealingly familiar. She waits impatiently for him to reach them, and then she’s true to her word - she practically pounces, wrapping her arms around his neck with enough fervor to make him take a step backwards as she greedily presses her mouth to his. 

Murphy pulls her closer then, and she has to force herself to remember that they _ are _ in public, that they can’t get as passionate as they did last night in the tree house, caught up in the giddiness of having their feelings returned. They hadn’t taken things much further than kissing, but that hadn’t stopped Raven from imagining what could come next. Reluctantly, she pulls away before either of them can deepen this kiss into something more, delighted when Murphy’s lips brush across her forehead and he speaks quietly enough for only her to hear. 

“Been thinking about kissing you all day, and it was worth the wait.”

Clarke must catch the infatuated expression she sends Murphy, because before Raven can say anything in response to his sweet words, Clarke interrupts and pokes Raven in the side. 

“Alright, alright. I may not know exactly what you’re saying, but I can tell I’m an unnecessary third wheel. Quit staring at each other and walk up to the cabins with me.”

Raven laughs as Murphy slips his fingers through hers, and the three of them start up the path that leads to the counselor bunks, none of them noticing the hateful eyes that glare at them through a window in The Ark. 

*

Her break passes by faster than it has any right to, though she doesn’t get to lie down or have any alone time with Murphy until the end of it. Clarke explains she needs to speak with one of the other counselors and leaves them as they get closer to their own cabins, Raven watching carefully to make sure she’s not alone as Clarke knocks on a cabin door and then disappears inside once it’s opened. 

She and Murphy end up on the steps outside Murphy’s cabin, talking with Bellamy, Octavia and Lincoln about the excitement of the day. Eventually Luna joins them, explaining that she came back to the bunk for a sweatshirt and to see if Raven wanted to go with her to the cabin to get the kids. Since Luna knows the truth of what’s going on with Finn, Raven understands Luna’s also making sure Raven isn’t walking alone, so she nods gratefully and agrees. 

“That sounds good, and so does a sweatshirt. I’ll run in and grab one from our cabin and then we can go, alright?”

“Maya said she would go ahead of us and collect some firewood, so she’ll meet us and the kiddos at the campfire station we’re assigned to. I’ll wait for you at the end of the path.” Luna stands and says goodnight to the rest of the group as Raven ducks out from under Murphy’s arm and heads over for a sweatshirt, hearing Murphy share his own muted thanks before she’s out of range. 

When she comes out again, tugging up the zipper, Murphy pulls her aside, towards the back of her cabin where there’s no one to see them. 

“I heard Kane tell Finn earlier that they needed to review a few of the art lesson plans after dinner, so he should be occupied with that. But I don’t want you getting separated from Luna tonight, you hear me? Stick with her on the way there and back, and don’t go off on your own in the woods.”  
  


“I promise I won’t,” Raven says, liking the way he’s edging closer to her until their bodies are nestled together, his arms careful against the still-sensitive skin of her back. 

“I’ll probably be in my cabin or outside waiting for you when you’re done. We can have some time together before curfew unless you want to sleep.”

“Hmm,” Raven teases, “that’s a tough choice - time with you or more sleep. You should probably kiss me again to see if you can persuade me.”

The grin on his face gets wider, more wicked. “Just remember, you asked for it.”

He then proceeds to kiss her absolutely senseless, his mouth more than persuading her even though it was never really in question that she’d choose him. His kisses entice her to forget everything except for the way her body responds, sparking and coming alive only to melt against him, boneless, and when he lifts his lips away from hers, the disappointed whimper she utters is wholeheartedly genuine. 

“Wow,” Raven mumbles. “You win that round.”

Murphy smirks at her dazed state, his hands rubbing up and down her arms, and he seems as reluctant to let her go as she is to leave. “I can be pretty convincing when I want to be.” 

He leans in again, one last drag of his mouth along hers as he regretfully releases her. “Be careful.”

She nods distractedly, and turns to walk towards the path. She gets a little more than a dozen steps away before Murphy’s voice playfully calls out to her. 

“Hey, Reyes?”

“Yeah?”

“You’re going the wrong way,” he laughs. “Luna’s waiting for you downhill, not uphill.”

“Oh, right. Thanks.” She can feel her cheeks heat up in embarrassment as she turns around, but as his warm laughter follows her down the path, Raven knows it’s a tiny price to pay for how marvelously happy she is. 

*

The hike is better than Raven expects it to be, the kids thrilled and nervous to be in the dark woods with their flashlights, and Luna’s fantastic with them, pointing out animal tracks and mosses and answering their questions about the noises of the night. It feels almost like a dream, being in the forest surrounded by giggles and buzzing insects, the glary beams of light flickering wildly through the trees as they catch an occasional glimpse of stars through the canopy of branches. 

There’s a lightness inside her, a giddiness that grows as she thinks about Murphy waiting for her when she gets back to camp, and the firm belief that Finn will soon be a problem that she can forget about, at least for a little while. She remembers the first day she arrived at Camp Jaha, that feeling she had when she stood in front of the lake and felt so sure that it was going to be a good summer. Part hopefulness, part certainty, but all of it torn to pieces when she heard Finn’s voice the next morning, saw him coming towards her down that hallway. 

She’s been putting those pieces back together, finding her hopefulness again with the help of Murphy and the new friends she’s made, and it’s incredible how much stronger she feels now even though the situation Finn is forcing her to go through has only gotten worse. The girl she was last year, the one who was scared to leave her apartment - that girl didn’t have a lot of options. But _ this _ Raven, this version of herself who’s in love and happy and looking forward to her future _ does _ have options, and as she jokes with the children and takes the lead on the hike after spotting the flickering campfire up ahead, she feels as if she could handle anything that comes her way. 

And when she gets closer and sees Clarke sitting on a log by the fire, her frightened face and blonde hair highlighted by the dancing flames, her body squished up against Finn’s, Raven understands she’s going to need every bit of that confidence. 

In the brief moments before the children come crashing through the clearing behind her, Finn flicks his wrist, letting Raven see the shiny glint of the knife he has pressed against Clarke’s side. His eyes are calculating, hard, and she instantly knows this is going to be the most dangerous side of Finn she’s seen yet. 

Raven doesn’t stop to think, just whirls around with an artificial smile, holding a hand up to contain the rowdy kids from plowing into her and using her body as a shield, keeping them as far away from the fire and Finn as possible. 

“Hold up, guys.” She works to keep her voice calm. “You know Clarke, right, from the infirmary? She and the art instructor came up here to let us know that there’s an unexpected thunderstorm coming in. We have to cancel the bonfire since it isn’t safe for us to be outside, so I’m going to stay and help put the fire out while you guys go back to camp.”

Luna assesses the situation quickly, giving Raven a fleeting feeling of gratefulness that she told Luna about Finn, that Luna saw how terrified he had made Raven that day by the path so now Luna knows _ exactly _ what they’ve just walked into. And amid the disappointed complaints and groans from the campers at Raven’s announcement, Luna’s steady presence keeps things under control. 

“I know you’re upset,” Luna consoles them, “but I bet the kitchen staff will help make it up to us. I have it on good authority that rained-out campfires entitle us to some ice cream sundaes. So we’re going to turn around and carefully go back down the path, no arguments, and I promise we’ll reschedule. Let’s get going.”

Luna flicks her eyes to Raven, communicating silently, and Raven understands that Luna will send help as quickly as possible, but both of them know it won’t come fast enough. Luna lets the concern show on her face for just a second, not wanting to leave Raven behind, and then she turns back to the children, herding them away and out of danger with her arms spread wide as Raven watches with a lump in her throat. 

Swallowing it down, she faces Finn, who hasn’t moved from his spot next to Clarke. He’s composed, seemingly unbothered that Raven sent the campers away, but she knows she can’t underestimate him. 

Clarke darts her eyes frantically between them, her voice determined even though Finn’s grip tightens on her when she starts to speak. 

“I wanted to surprise you,” she explains, “so I switched at the last minute with Maya. I thought it would be fun to do the hike together. After I made the fire, he came out of the woods and pulled out the knife.”

“She thought it would be _ fun_,” Finn taunts. “But isn’t this so much better, just the three of us? I couldn’t let this opportunity pass me by, not when we really need to get things straight between us. Right, Raven?”

“Finn, you don’t need her. You told me yourself, remember? It’s just me that you want,” Raven tries to bargain, desperately searching for options that would make sense to Finn. “She just complicates things, and we don’t need her here. Not when it’s you and me who need to talk. Send her away so it’s just us.”

His eyes narrow as he stands, pulling Clarke to her feet with him. “I know what you’re doing, but you’re right - I don’t really care about this bitch.” He shoves Clarke forward, and she falls into the dirt when she loses her balance. Finn braces a foot on the middle of her back, his weight keeping her down. 

“I’ll tell you what, Raven. If you want to make a trade, I’ll play that game. You come here, where I can reach you, and I’ll let your lying snake of a friend go.”

“Yes,” Raven agrees, and takes a cautious step forward. 

“No!” Clarke yells from her position on the ground, and Finn sends a sharp kick to her side. 

“Finn, stop! If you hurt her, I won’t come to you,” Raven stops moving, not yet close enough for Finn to touch her. “Let her up right now.”

She doesn’t expect him to listen, but Finn takes his weight off Clarke’s back, and her friend gets to her hands and knees, breathing hard from the kick to her side. Clarke’s eyes are wet with tears but still full of determination as she stands shakily. 

“Don’t, Raven.”

“I want you to _ go_, Clarke. Catch up with Luna and listen to what she says.” Raven pleads with her friend, willing her to do as she asks. 

“Enough talking. Move closer to me now, Raven, or I’m changing my mind and you’re both staying.” Finn takes a threatening step towards Clarke so Raven hurries closer, keeping his attention on her so that Clarke can get out of his reach. 

As soon as she’s near enough, Finn grabs Raven’s bicep, jerking her painfully against him as he crooks one arm around her throat. 

To Raven’s relief, Clarke enters the edge of the woods, pausing briefly to look back towards the fire. Raven tries to offer a reassuring smile, but she knows it looks bad, the tip of Finn’s knife close enough that she can feel the sharp point of it draw blood as it presses into her side, and the tight weight of his arm makes it hard to gulp in air. 

  
Finn leans his head down, his cheek scraping near her ear and his breath hot on her neck. “I missed you, Raven.” he whispers. “And you know, Clarke was right. This _ is _ going to be fun.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun dun dun! God, Finn really sucks in this one, huh? As always, hearing your thoughts are much appreciated, and I love chatting with you guys in the comment section. Thanks for reading!


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, we made it! This is the last installment and it runs almost 8.5k so settle in! Thanks for sticking with me over this longer-than-we'd-all-like posting scenario! Please note the tags for this chapter - there is absolutely canon-typical violence here, so know your squicks! You can always message me on tumblr or post in the comments if you aren't sure if the content is for you.

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/170152452@N02/48799735831/in/dateposted-public/)

* * *

Murphy lays on his bed, reviewing some of the images of the firefly meadow he captured on his camera while he half-listens to the conversation flowing around him, but his brain is mostly thinking about Raven. Pretty much par for the course lately, not that he minds it. In fact, it occurs to him that he wouldn’t mind thinking about Raven for the rest of his life, but maybe that’s going to extremes this early on. Still, he likes the possibility of it, the possibility of _ them_, and he knows himself well enough to understand that feeling like this, being in love with her, isn’t something that will suddenly fade away for him. He doesn’t fall for people easily, and it doesn’t matter that it’s been fast with Raven or that they haven’t known each other very long. He trusts her, it feels right, and he’s always been one to have faith in his instincts. 

So maybe they’ll have a few things to work out, like what the hell they’re going to do about Finn after the summer is over, and how he’s ever going to get by without seeing Raven every day once they both have to go back to their respective universities, but that’s all details compared to the big picture. What’s important is that they’re together, not how they go about it. But maybe the next time he’s in the computer lab with Raven, he’ll check the internet to see what town is about half-way between them, and start to calculate how often he can afford to make roadtrips. 

He’s in the process of a grand plan to earn more money this fall when the door to the cabin bursts open, the screen door slamming shut with a loud bang. Clarke appears, disheveled and crying, and Bellamy jumps up from where he had been talking with Lincoln, rushing to her side and wrapping his arm around her shoulders. 

“Clarke, are you alright?”

“I’m okay, it’s not me! Luna went for security, but she told me to come here,” she gasps for air, bending over in Bellamy’s embrace and clearly out of breath, and Murphy feels sick, the fear building in the pit of his stomach. 

“Where’s Raven?” 

The question erupts out of him as he’s already moving, shoving his feet into his shoes and yanking a sweatshirt over his head. Lincoln stands too, not knowing what’s going on but picking up on the mood of the room. 

“She...I took a spot on the hike to surprise her, but Finn went up there too.” Clarke shakes her head like she can’t believe what she’s saying. “She made him let me go, but he has a knife, and she’s in the woods with him, all alone.”

He knew it would be bad but it still feels like he can’t breathe, can't think, yet he pushes past Clarke without hesitation, out the door with Lincoln hot on his heels, and thank god Bellamy yells after him to tell him where to go. 

“Fire Pit Three, and I’ll be right behind you!”

Murphy doesn’t stick to the paths, the years of practice roaming these woods leaving him with plenty of shortcut knowledge. It feels like it takes forever to get through the trees even so, and it’s so dark they have to slow down once they’re in the denser part of the forest, rocks and logs getting in their way and making them stumble. His lungs are burning and his face stings from the branches that whip towards him as he moves, and his heartbeat is thunderous in his ears. Knowing he could hear Raven scream at any moment has him so tense for it that he can already imagine the sound reverberating all around him, tormenting him that he could be too late to save her from whatever Finn has planned. 

Finally the faint orange glow from a low fire comes into view, but it’s eerily quiet and he doesn’t see any movement. Murphy crouches down in the underbrush, not wanting to give himself away until he gets a good look around, and he forgets that Lincoln is behind him until he feels a hand near his ankle and looks back to see the worried eyes of his friend. 

“I don’t see them, but whatever happens, you go for Raven and I’ll go after Finn, yeah?”

He nods stiffly, leaning closer so his voice won’t carry. “Get the knife away. If security stayed on path, they won’t be close yet. Finn’s violent; watch yourself.”

“We’ll find her,” Lincoln insists, and Murphy wants to believe it, needs to believe it but he’s seen with his own eyes the way Finn has treated Raven, knows how far he could take it if he can’t get to her in time, and there’s no way to know where Finn could have taken her unless they find an obvious trail. 

There’s a sudden disturbing thud that comes from the direction of the fire ring, and a few horrified heartbeats later it’s followed by an agonized scream, shockingly loud in the too-quiet gloom. 

He’s on his feet immediately, the sound an exact match to his nightmarish imaginings, and he runs to the only place he can’t see. 

*

When Clarke disappears from her sight into the shadows of the redwoods, Raven experiences both relief and dread. Being alone with Finn is something she’s been afraid of for a long time, and somehow it feels worse in the dark, as if no one will find her or come to her rescue like Murphy has done so unhesitatingly since they first met. 

Finn tightens his chokehold around her neck, dragging her backwards so hard it snaps her out of her stupor. 

“I should have brought something to tie you up, but things had to come together fast once I saw Clarke head up here. Go over to that storage shed; open it. I will hurt you if you try something.”

There’s a small wooden shed at each campfire station, tall and narrow with a peaked roof, each of them equipped with special locking handles so wild animals can’t get inside. During their counselor training, Raven learned they’re packed with safety supplies for the fire, including buckets for carrying water from the nearby streams, sandbags, a fire extinguisher and even an air horn to alert camp security in case a fire accidentally gets out of control. She doesn’t know if there’s rope or something inside that Finn can use to restrain her, but if she can get her hands on something with some weight to it, maybe she could knock him out, or at least use that air horn. 

She moves slowly towards the shed, Finn heavy at her back and the knife sharp at her side. He’s loosened his hold on the blade just slightly, so it’s no longer drawing blood, but she knows he won’t hesitate to use it again. Her hands shake when she leans in to turn the handle at the same time she pushes the release, and Finn’s hot breath huffs in her ear as he laughs mockingly. 

“Afraid of me, aren’t you? You know this never would have happened if you had just listened to me from the start, Raven. I gave you so many chances.”

It makes her so angry, how wrong he has it, how completely twisted his version of their history is. The part of her that’s full of rage over everything he’s done, how he’s hurt her and threatened her and made her so miserable - that part wants to yell out in denial and let him know what a sick fucking bastard she thinks he is. But as much as she hates it, hates _ him_, he has all the power right now and her goal has to be to buy time and try to avoid him hurting her as much as she can. She can almost hear Murphy warning her to be careful while she speaks slowly, almost deferentially as Finn examines the inside of the shed. 

“I’m so confused by everything, Finn.” Raven pushes the lie out of her mouth. “But I’ve been thinking about what you said, the last time we...talked.”

Finn lurches her sideways so he can get a better view of the equipment. “Good, good. You _ should _ be listening to me. I want what’s best for you, Raven - I always have. You just can’t always see how right I am, how right _ we _ are together. But I’m going to make you see. And when I’m done we can be happy again, I know it.”

Raven clenches her teeth. “What are you...What is it that you think is best for me?”

Impatiently, he pulls her away from the front of the shed, and she mentally curses at not having a chance to get any closer to it. “_I’m_ what’s best for you, Raven. You know that even if you won’t admit it.”

Finn takes a few steps sideways, his momentum carrying her along with him, and he maneuvers her to the rear of the shed, hauling her against it until her back is pressed hard against the wooden wall. He moves the knife under her chin as he takes a small step backwards, facing her and still entirely too close. Her heart is hammering in her chest, panicked, and her fear increases as he repeatedly runs the point of the knife over her cheek, up and down and then side to side. 

Silently his eyes track the movement of the blade, Raven struggling to barely breathe in dread that he’ll slice her cheek open. Eventually he tires of the ordeal, his tone nasty as he rants at her. 

“I told you to break up with that trash that you’re letting touch you. You didn’t do as I asked, Raven! I saw you after dinner, acting like a whore with him in front of everyone! It was...disappointing.”

She closes her eyes just for a moment, disgusted and unsure of what to say to placate him, and Finn reacts quickly, slashing the knife along the front of her sweatshirt until it hangs open in a long tear. She brings her hand up to hold the edges together, gasping, but Finn stops her with his cold words. 

“No! Put your hand down right now or I will use this knife to dig out a chunk of your arm. I don’t want to teach you such a harsh lesson, but I’m beginning to think you need it.”

Raven warily drops her hand down to her side, and Finn smiles at her. Vomit rises in her throat. 

“Very good. Now stay still, and think about how happy we were. Don’t you remember? When it was just you and me. I can make it like that again, I can make you remember.”

This time he starts the knife near her stomach, inching upwards slowly as it cuts through the material of her shirt, and then Finn uses his bare hand to rip the last of it, leaving it gaping open just like her sweatshirt. Her skin is covered in goosebumps in the chill air, but she’s also shaking from fear. 

“Take them both off,” Finn demands, and waves the knife back and forth in front of her face a few times like it’s all some sort of game to him. 

She wants to refuse, doesn’t want to cooperate with him in any way but she’s terrified, remembering some of the threats he’d written on that note he’d left on her bed when he’d broken into her and Clarke’s apartment. It started out like this, with him cutting her clothes off, and all Raven can think to do is just to let time pass by as stretched out as she can make it. 

“We, we can talk about this,” she stammers, her fingers going to the sweatshirt cuff on one arm and slowly, slowly inching it down. 

“I think we’re past talking now, Raven. No one likes to be punished, I understand that. But you’ll see, once I do this - it’ll clear the slate and we can start over. You just have to learn your place.”

“You don’t have to show me. I’ll try harder to understand.”

“Believe me, I wish you could. You have so much potential to be perfect - that’s why I haven’t given up on you yet, you know. Even with your shameful betrayals there’s still something about you that tells me I can make you better. Now stop wasting time and get the shirts off.”

It sickens her, knowing there was a time when she chose Finn. Chose to spend time with him, chose to let him touch her. All she can see now is how despicable, how _ warped _ he is, but Murphy’s voice echoes in her head from that first time he took her to his tree house, reminding her that it isn’t her fault that she was so fooled by Finn. That she broke away from him as soon as she saw a red flag. The thought gives her strength as she yanks the ripped sleeves of her shirts down her arms and drops them in the dirt. 

She stands in her shorts and bra, defiant, the shallow wound on her side reopening as she pulls the cloth away. The coppery scent of blood hits her nostrils and she can see Finn’s vacant eyes drawn towards the gash he made. 

He twirls the knife between his fingers before sticking the point against her neck, holding it firmly. His other hand goes to her side, tracing sticky patterns in the mess of blood there. 

“Stay still,” he breathes, ominously quiet as he smears her blood all over her stomach, fascinated in some sadistic way that Raven doesn’t want to think too deeply about so instead she takes a shuddery breath and fervently prays someone will come soon. 

Long minutes pass until Finn lowers his head and licks the spot on her neck where he aims the knife, and Raven stiffens, gagging at the revolting touch. He doesn’t seem to care, skipping his bloody fingers up to her shoulder to push the strap of her bra down, and then alarmingly, his hand moves to the button on her shorts. As he works to undo it, Raven can feel his hold on the knife relax, and in desperation she swiftly brings her knee up, jamming it into his groin as hard as she can. 

It knocks the breath out of him so he doesn’t even yelp, just hisses in anger as he loses his grip on the knife and she feels a surge of adrenaline when she thinks he drops it, but then he’s digging his fingers into her upper arms and he slams her backwards, the back of her head hitting the wall with a nauseating thud. Pain blooms behind her eyes making her disoriented, and she falls sideways onto the hard ground. Her head is aching, blood rushing through her veins so loudly she can hear it but something tells her to open her eyes, find Finn in the darkness and protect herself as best she can. Her eyelids are so heavy but she pries them open, arms coming up defensively, and she’s just in time to see Finn stumble forward, falling to his knees as he stabs the knife deep into the muscle of her left thigh. 

Raven screams in agony, the sharp, piercing sensation unbearable for what feels like an eternity, and then the edges of her vision go black and blurry right before she loses consciousness. 

*

Murphy sprints through the dirt of the clearing, finally spotting movement as he gets closer to the safety shed. Finn staggers to his feet from where he’s sprawled on the ground, but Murphy shoves past him, intent on getting to Raven. That was her ghastly, painful scream he heard and he had to find her even if it meant letting Finn escape, though he hoped Lincoln would take him down. 

“Raven!” He yells, but there’s no answer except for the cold pit of fear in his stomach. . 

Finally he’s close enough to find her - she’s lying in the dirt, unmoving with her eyes closed as he drops to his knees beside her, not paying any attention to the scuffle behind him. There's more light closer to the fire, and his eyes have no trouble seeing the dark patches of blood on Raven’s bare stomach, her upper half naked except for a rumpled bra. He can’t feel anything except dried blood when he glides his fingers over her belly, so he darts his gaze everywhere else, frantic to know what caused the scream and then it’s obvious - blood is running over the top of her thigh and into her shorts like a river. Murphy snatches the torn remnants of her t-shirt off the ground and presses them hard onto her leg, desperate to staunch the flow. 

She groans in misery, her eyes fluttering open and he crouches over her, one of his hands firm on the wound, the other stroking her cheek. 

“I’ve got you, you’re gonna be alright,” he chokes out, needing it to be true. 

Raven starts to cry, tears leaking through his fingers as she looks up at him with scared eyes. “My head hurts, and I’m so cold.”

Murphy takes her hand and guides it to her thigh. “Hold this here, just for a minute, okay? I know it’s painful but we gotta control the bleeding.”

He hastily yanks his sweatshirt over his head, spreading it out over her upper body before replacing his hand on her thigh, causing her to grimace when he increases the pressure again. Vaguely he can hear grunts and groans behind him that indicate Lincoln and Finn must be in some kind of scuffle, but he doesn’t turn to look, his attention centered on making sure Raven stays conscious. 

“Are you hurt anywhere else?”

“My head,” Raven sniffs, trying to lift her neck. 

“Hey, no, don’t strain. Let me.” Murphy gently runs his palm over the top of her head and down, finding more blood as his fingers come away coated in it. He clenches his teeth at the evidence of another substantial injury. Guilt overwhelms him, his throat tight with regret. 

“I’m sorry I didn’t get here sooner.”

A weak smile spreads across her lips but it’s gone so quickly he almost misses it. “You came. That’s what matters.”

Despite the blood on his hand he cradles her jaw, combating the urge to pull her into his arms. “I love you, Raven. More help is coming, so you just keep talking to me and I promise-”

Murphy grunts with the force of something heavy tackling him from behind as he crouches over Raven, and he has to twist his body awkwardly to the side in order to avoid falling on top of her. He gets a glimpse of Finn’s unhinged scowl as they roll through the dirt, Finn trying to land punches as Murphy works to maneuver them farther away from Raven. 

Not knowing what could have happened to Lincoln only adds to Murphy’s rage, and he at last lets it out - all the bottled fury since he saw Finn with his hands hurting Raven that day in her classroom, leaving her bruised and crying. He remembers the fear in Raven’s expression, how frightened she still was when she revealed the truth about Finn stalking her for so long. How far the bastard took it. How she’d carried it alone and tried to be brave. The gouges on her back flash before his eyes, and the way she looked just now, so small and covered in blood because of whatever the hell Finn did to her - it all combines in a surge of powerful energy as his fist connects forcefully against Finn’s cheek again and again as he gains the upper hand. 

He doesn’t count the blows, only knows it’s a satisfying sting to his knuckles as he looms over the man who has brought Raven such anguish, and he barely registers the sound of his name being called from across the clearing. It’s not until Bellamy grabs his arm in mid-swing, jerking it to a halt that Murphy finally looks up and comes back to himself. 

“Murphy! Murphy, enough!” Bellamy hauls him off Finn’s prone body and Murphy staggers to his feet. 

Finn’s on the ground below him, nose bloody and cheek split open, breathing hard. He shows no signs of getting up as he spits a mouthful of blood into the dirt, eyes swollen but still filled with hate. Murphy doesn’t feel an ounce of regret, turning away at the noise of more people arriving. 

Bellamy stands over Finn, keeping guard, and members of camp security are moving through the trees, so Murphy doesn’t spare another glance in that direction, instead rushing back to Raven’s side. 

“You’re okay, you’re okay,” he promises, unwilling to consider any other option. “Everyone’s here now, they’re going to fix you right up.”

Raven lethargically turns her head towards him when he once again presses hard on the knife wound, but there’s so much blood soaked into the dirt around her and she doesn’t open her eyes. This time she doesn’t even flinch at the pain, and the sick feeling he’s had in his stomach since Clarke burst into their cabin threatens to overwhelm him. 

“No, no, Raven. Look at me! Open your eyes, Raven. Raven!” Wildly, he searches among the people who are practically swarming the campsite, calling out when he spots a familiar face. 

“Jackson! Dr. Jackson! I need help!”

As soon as he sees the red-soaked fabric Murphy has pinned against Raven’s leg, Dr. Jackson’s demeanor turns urgent. 

“Push down even harder on that, Murphy. She’s lost a lot of blood.” The doctor gestures towards one of the camp security officers. “I need a few of you over here with that stretcher we brought up, quickly!”

“She has a head injury, too,” Murphy tells him, his throat thick with fear. 

Dr. Jackson nods absently, his concern wholly focused on her thigh. “The knife wound may have nicked an artery. We’ve got to get this bleeding stopped before anything else.”

Everything happens in a hurry after that, a blur of commotion and movement that Murphy barely registers. Blankets are tucked around Raven so thickly he can barely see her, Dr. Jackson murmuring quietly about shock. He notices Lincoln holding an ice pack to his head where he’s sitting on a log, and Finn is surrounded by adults, what looks like a belt looped around his ankles to prevent him from escaping. Bellamy has been talking non-stop since they loaded Raven onto the stretcher, saying things meant to be reassuring, maybe. But nothing holds his attention like the still figure he’s walking beside. His hands are slippery with blood - Raven’s, Finn’s, probably his own since his knuckles are throbbing - so they wouldn’t let him help to carry her down the path, but no one stops him from reaching for her hand. He holds it like a lifeline, refusing to let go even when they load Raven into a waiting ambulance near The Ark. 

Clarke is there too, pacing with worry, and she starts to protest that she should ride with Raven, but she must see something when she finally just _ looks _ at Murphy that changes her mind, because a moment later she just wrings her hands and mumbles something about meeting them at the hospital. 

Murphy tries to make himself small, staying out of the way of the two attendants as they fuss over Raven, aware of how filthy and bloody they both are in comparison to the white sheets and clean interior of the ambulance. No one makes him let go of her, and even though her arm is stretched off the gurney so they can stay connected, he doesn’t think he could tear his fingers from hers if they asked. The words between the caregivers are steady as they work, but there’s no way he can miss the driver radioing in to the hospital saying that they need an operating room upon arrival. 

_ He should’ve never let her go on that hike without him_. 

*

Three hours later, his hands are mostly scrubbed clean and his knuckles bandaged as they grip the armrests of the rickety chair in the OR waiting room. Bellamy’s sitting next to him on one side, his arm slung around Clarke’s shoulders, and Kane is to his left. Director Jaha and Raven’s advisor Sinclair are across from him. Dr. Jackson came through the doors of the ER not long after Raven was unloaded from the ambulance, but after barking a few quick instructions for Murphy to wait for the others to arrive and not leave the area, the doctor had rushed behind the double doors marked ‘Hospital Staff Only’ and Murphy hadn’t seen him since. 

There were a few terse questions from Director Jaha once they all sat down, but the mood in the room is somber, worried, and every once in a while Clarke’s sniffles can be heard. For his part, Murphy feels almost numb, barely moving except for the tense clench of his fingers digging into the rough edge of the hard armrest. When he looks down at his hands, he swears he can still see the blood covering them even though he knows it’s his imagination playing tricks on him. The pain in his knuckles is real, but he takes satisfaction in that, especially after he saw Finn being led through the main doors with a large bandage plastered across his cheek. No one said anything to him about it, but Murphy was pretty sure he’d at least broken Finn’s nose. 

Almost an hour ago, Bellamy had gotten up and gone over to the desk to speak to one of the nurses, but came back without any real update on Raven’s condition - only that she was still in surgery. Murphy had started bouncing his leg anxiously at that point, and Kane had been glancing over at Murphy with growing concern ever since. He feels like his skin is too tight, like he’s swallowing down screams that just need to _ get out_, and he’s almost at the point of jumping up and throwing his chair against the wall when Kane lays a firm hand on his forearm. 

“Murphy. Come with me to the vending machines in the hallway. Everyone’s bound to be thirsty by now.” 

Kane’s tone suggests he won’t take ‘no’ for an answer, so Murphy gets up slowly, his body stiff and sore. The walk and slight change of scenery do him good though, serving to calm him down just enough so that he feels in control again. They get some cans of soda and a couple of waters, and Murphy unscrews the cap and gulps one bottle down before they even start back to the waiting room. Kane raises an eyebrow but feeds another few bills into the machine to replace it. 

“Thanks,” Murphy says, his voice hoarse. “Not just for the water, I mean.”

“Of course.” Kane stares at him thoughtfully. “I don’t know Raven, but I can see she’s important to you. She’s in good hands here.”

He can only manage a terse nod, unable to put into any kind of words exactly _ how _ important Raven is. But with the way Kane squeezes his shoulder compassionately, Murphy thinks maybe he understands anyway. 

It’s only a few minutes after they get back to the waiting room and pass out the drinks when Dr. Jackson finally comes through the staff doors and walks towards them, everyone standing quickly, restless for news. His clothes are only slightly less bloody than Murphy’s, but the lines of worry in his forehead are no longer as pronounced as they were, and Murphy can feel his shoulders relaxing slightly before he even speaks. 

“We were able to stop the bleeding, and she won’t lose the leg,” Jackson explains. “But there’s nerve damage that may be significant. She’ll need physical therapy and a brace after she recovers from the surgery, and only time will tell whether the brace will be permanent or not.” He looks at the wary faces surrounding him. “I won’t lie - it was touch and go there for a little while. Doctors are supposed to attribute positive outlooks to skill, not luck, but I don’t think there’s anyone in that OR today who wouldn’t consider Raven damned lucky.”

Relief and nausea mix at the back of his throat. He can’t speak but Director Jaha and Kane do, talking at once to Jackson with all of it simply sounding like a muted buzzing to his own ears. Sinclair sits back down almost bonelessly, tears welling up in his eyes, and Murphy can relate. Bellamy has Clarke enveloped in a hug, but she pokes her head up and speaks so loudly everyone turns to look at her, suddenly quiet. 

“Can we see her?” Clarke asks, pointing first to him and then to herself.

Dr. Jackson gazes sternly at them for a moment and then relents. “Alright. But only five minutes each for the two of you. She won’t be awake yet and she needs her rest.”

Murphy could kiss Clarke, he’s so appreciative, and the look he gives her shows it. Probably Jackson has a soft spot for Clarke just like Sinclair does for Raven, he figures, and he’ll take whatever advantage he can get if it means being able to see her. Clarke nods in return, a small smile on her tear-stained face, and the two of them follow after Jackson. 

“Clarke, Murphy,” Director Jaha stops them only a few steps away. “Now that we know Raven’s prognosis, when you’re finished, the police are waiting at the station to take your statements. And I have quite a few questions myself. Come back here after you see your friend and we’ll drive over.”

They both agree, eager to leave the waiting room as they follow Jackson down a different hallway than the one he came through earlier. Murphy knows there’s going to be repercussions from what happened today, especially since Kane knows Murphy was at least already on to Finn about something. But whatever fallout that happens is nothing compared to how Raven’s doing, and the need to see her for himself has been building since he watched her being sped away from him once they reached the hospital. 

Jackson leads them through a maze of corridors before he eventually stops at one in particular. He points to the nurse’s station at the center of the busy environment. “I’m going to let someone know you have ten minutes, and they’ll come over to walk you back to the waiting room. I have to finish some paperwork before I can leave for the night. You can talk to her if you want but the drugs we gave her will probably keep her unconscious until morning.”

It’s Clarke who pulls herself together enough to respond. “Thank you, Dr. Jackson. For everything. Raven means so much,” her eyes flick to Murphy before continuing, “to both of us. We can’t begin to tell you how thankful we are.”

Jackson nods politely and smiles at Clarke as Murphy finds his voice. 

“I’m grateful,” he adds, as sincerely as he can considering he’s holding himself back from darting into Raven’s room. 

“You put good pressure on that leg before I got there,” Dr. Jackson asserts. “That definitely helped the outcome today.”

Clarke watches him go before turning to Murphy. “I have to ask - can I go first? The last time I saw her she...Well, he was choking her and he had that knife but she was _ still _ trying to protect me and-”

“Go in, Clarke.” 

Murphy interrupts her because he can’t stand hearing about it, can’t stand the clear picture that pops into his head with Clarke’s words, knowing she’s right. Through it all, Raven wanted to keep Clarke safe, and it isn’t that he resents it because he knows that he’d go pretty far to protect his friends too. But to imagine her there alone in the woods, scared and vulnerable while Finn had a knife...No, it’s too much even though it’s probably what he’ll see in his nightmares every night for the foreseeable future. 

As he impatiently waits for his turn, his eyes drawn towards the clock on the wall near the nurses station, the memory of first seeing Raven on the ground behind the storage shed enters his brain. So much blood, and she was eerily still and quiet until he’d made her suffer by pushing hard on the knife wound in her thigh. Everything he’d been worrying about since that very first day when he’d seen Finn intimidate her near the vending machines had come to a sick kind of conclusion when he’d seen her there. Like it had been inescapable somehow, but he knows that’s not exactly true. It _ could _ have been prevented, if only he’d gone with her to that campfire, and not left her on her own. He’d been utterly incompetent, sure that Finn would have done what Kane told him, and Raven paid the price for it. The knowledge eats at him, and he doesn’t know how he’s going to apologize to her, how to ever make up for his lapse in judgment. 

He’s still thinking about it when Clarke comes out of Raven’s room, thirty-eight seconds still left on her five minutes if the clock he’s been staring at is right. Her eyes are red but she’s smiling encouragingly at him, and he doesn’t waste any time, more than ready to see for himself that she’s going to be okay. 

The room is eerily quiet, Raven’s soft, measured breaths barely audible once he shuts the door behind him. There’s a chair close to the bed, and he walks towards it, his eyes scanning her form though it’s covered with layers of blankets. Her injured leg is elevated by something he can’t see, the shape of it much higher than the rest of her body. An IV is in her arm and the room stinks like antiseptic, making his stomach churn. Now that she’s cleaner and in the light, he can make out scratches on her face, on her forehead that mar the too-pale skin. The bandage on her head wound seems huge, but it’s clean with no sign of blood. He perches precariously on the edge of the chair, leaning over the bed to stroke his thumb over the uninjured skin of her silky cheek, wishing she’d open her eyes for him as he speaks softly. 

“I know they won’t let me stay here with you tonight, but I’ll be back tomorrow. Everybody took good care of you; you’re going to be okay. I don’t want you to worry about anything but feeling better, you got that? Dream about something happy, alright, like the fireflies. You’re the only one I wanna share that view with, Raven.” 

He rests his forehead in the curve of her neck as his eyes sting, unmoving as his allotted time ticks away though his thoughts are jumbled and restless. Despite the tang of medicine in the air, this close he can distinguish her scent over everything else, and he lets it and the steady beat of her pulse reassure him until he knows he has to leave. 

Reluctantly, he pulls away, kissing the side of her forehead before he stands up and lets his eyes roam greedily over her face. Not spending the night here with her causes a physical ache in his chest. “I’ll be here tomorrow as soon as they let me. I love you.”

The clock reads almost two minutes late when he gets to the door, his hand pausing just before he pushes it open. He doesn’t turn around for another look, instead bowing his head to blink down at the floor as he whispers one last thing he wants to tell her. 

“I should have been with you on that hike, and I’m so, so sorry I wasn’t. It’s my fault you got hurt.”

*

The bright light of the hospital room makes her eyes burn when Raven opens them and takes in her surroundings. Everything hurts - her head, her side, and especially her thigh. She’s thirsty and her throat is sore, and she thinks it must be the desire for water that woke her up, because now she’s awake, all she wants is to drink and then go back to sleep. The bed creaks as she tries to sit up, and at the noise there’s suddenly a flurry of movement to her left. 

“Well look at that. My favorite Aerospace Engineer is finally awake.” 

Raven turns her head to see Sinclair get to his feet and walk closer. The chair he vacated has a pillow and blanket on it, and he looks worried in spite of the smile on his face and the warmth of his words. 

“I’m your _ only _ Aerospace Engineer,” Raven teases, though the effect is somewhat lost with her scratchy voice. 

“Still my favorite,” Sinclair smiles, and to her relief pours her a cup of water from the pitcher on the table next to the bed. “The nurses told me you might be thirsty when you woke up. It’s already after eleven - you slept most of the morning away. But then again, they did give you the good drugs.”

Sinclair gives her the water but holds a hand up to stop her before she can struggle into a better position to drink. 

“Lie still so you don’t move your leg. If you move too much, they’ll put you in one of those slings to keep your leg immobile. I’ll push the button to raise the head of the bed for you.” He adjusts the cot, refilling her cup after she finishes the first sips. 

“Did you stay here overnight?” 

“I did,” Sinclair nods, “and even though I’m not your first choice, I still wanted to make sure you were okay.”

Raven drinks half the second cupful and hands it back, feeling touched that Sinclair was worried about her. It means a lot that he didn’t leave her at the hospital alone, and she feels her eyes start to tear up. 

“Don’t worry. You’re definitely in my top three.” She supposes they wouldn’t have let Murphy stay, but she wishes he could be here to hold her hand and tell her it’s all going to be fine. 

There must be something on her face that gives her thoughts away, because Sinclair grins again and pulls her blanket up from where it fell as the bed raised, tucking it closer to her shoulder with a gentle squeeze. 

“Get some more rest. The doctors will come to see you later, and so will he.”

She has so many unanswered questions, but sleep is too appealing and she slips under again all too easily. 

*

Murphy comes to see her about twenty minutes after she ends a difficult phone call with her mother. She doesn’t intend to do it, but the sight of him coming through the door loosens the tight hold she has on her emotions and quiet tears start to flow. 

“That’s not exactly the welcome I was expecting,” he tries to joke, but she can tell his heart isn’t in it since his eyes are somber as he looks her over.

“Oh, shut up and give me a hug already.”

It’s difficult to tell who clings tighter once his arms are around her, but the twinge in her side doesn’t matter when she can tuck her face in his neck and cry like she needs to. She lets it all out while he holds her - the nightmare of what happened at the campsite, the fear she felt for the campers and Clarke and then herself, and the current worry of what’s going to unfold next. Eventually she feels almost empty, pulling back just enough to wipe her eyes with the sleeve of her hospital gown. 

“I needed that,” she sniffs. “Your shoulders are good ones to cry on.”

For the first time she notices the bandage around his knuckles when his thumb wipes away a few more tears from her cheek, her eyes widening in dismay. 

“What happened to your hand? And your face, it's all scratched up!”

“It’s nothing to worry about,” Murphy asserts, curling his injured fingers around the back of her neck to bring her closer until his forehead rests against hers. “You really scared me, Raven. I thought...I heard you scream and then there was so much blood everywhere…”

Murphy trails off and she can practically feel the helplessness that exudes from him, making her desperate to reassure him. 

“I’m okay, I promise. I really am. Dr. Jackson was here earlier, and so was the physical therapist who’s going to help me. They told me I got really lucky and if I work hard during therapy, there’s a good chance I might not need a permanent brace on my leg. I’m an over-achiever, you know, so we can consider it done, okay?” 

“I should’ve got there sooner, should’ve never let you go to that campfire without me. If I was there, you wouldn’t be hurt like this, wouldn’t be going through this mess...I’m so sorry, Raven.”

She shakes her head emphatically, ignoring the ache it brings. “This is _ not _ your fault, Murphy. Don’t you put this on yourself, because I don’t. You had it right when I was the one feeling guilty - no one did this but Finn. _ He _ made all this happen, not anybody else. I won’t let you blame yourself for this, especially when you’re the one who came to save me. _ Again_.”

His sad blue eyes meet hers, leaving her with the understanding that he’s going to need more convincing in the future. Well, like she told her mother - she isn’t leaving Camp Jaha to come home for therapy, and she’ll be damned if she lets Finn leave any more damage behind either. Taking a deep breath, she smiles softly and cups Murphy’s cheek. 

“Tell me everything I don’t know, but first I want a kiss.”

Like she hoped, the demand makes him grin, and though he’s gentle about it, his arms wrap possessively around her again as his mouth matches perfectly to hers, bringing them both comfort. 

*

ALMOST A YEAR LATER

  
  


Raven steps lightly off the bus and into the bright sunshine, the sleek brace on her left leg barely noticeable to her any longer as she adjusts her weight. A few feet ahead of her, Clarke turns to face her friend, visibly antsy, making Raven laugh at her lack of patience. 

“Go on. I know you’re dying to see Bellamy. I’ll meet up with you later.”

Clarke jogs the few paces between them and throws an arm around Raven’s shoulders. “It’s good to be back, isn’t it? I can’t wait to see everyone at dinner!”

“Me too. Now go and make up for lost time!”

Grinning wickedly, Clarke gives her once last squeeze. “Oh, believe me, I intend to. Though I think I can probably say the same for another couple I know.”

Raven shrugs Clarke’s arm away and gives her a playful shove towards the path that leads to the counselor’s cabins. “You’re not wrong, so get out of here so we can both get to it!”

Shading her eyes against the sun, she watches as Clarke takes off to meet Bellamy. Even though it’s been about ten months since she’s been back, Camp Jaha looks just the same, at least as far as she can see. Last summer, she missed quite a bit of her counselor duties after what Finn put her through. Physical therapy was grueling, and her mother had pushed for her to leave Arcata and be closer to home while she healed. She’d refused, knowing there was nothing that could help motivate her to get better quicker than her friends, and Sinclair had helped to convince her mother when the demands had gotten heated. Besides that, he kept her Engineering classroom position open, and her mobility had improved fast enough that she was able to return to camp for the last half of the summer, thrilled to finally get to teach the kids like she’d looked forward to even though she had to do a lot of it sitting down. 

Since then, she and Clarke had returned to Stanford, though their sophomore year had gone quite a bit differently due to the things that had happened that summer. They’d each met someone special, so weekends and breaks had turned into opportunities to drive to USC or host Murphy and Bellamy at their campus apartment as often as they could. Murphy had done his best to make sure they didn’t go more than two weeks without seeing each other, and college had been a completely different kind of experience when she wasn’t too scared to leave her room. Between Clarke and Luna, she had been kept busy with company and social events when she wasn’t studying or occupied with Murphy, and they had all really helped her get through the difficulties of Finn's trial. 

And the trial had definitely been difficult. After Finn had been treated for the black eyes, broken nose and fractured cheekbone Murphy had given him, he’d been arrested on multiple charges. Everyone involved with the campfire incident had been interviewed by the police, and the full story came out about Finn’s stalking and how he’d been ‘encouraged’ to leave Stanford. Clarke had learned just how far Finn had taken things, and what Raven had tried to do in order to protect her. In the process, Murphy had been cleared from any legal action due to self-defense, much to everyone’s relief. Wells Jaha and Marcus Kane had been disturbed that Finn had passed the camp background checks after what he’d put Raven through, and they’d helped to build a strong child endangerment case against him, in addition to the charges that the police, Raven and Lincoln had all filed. Lincoln had testified how Finn used a rock to knock him out after Lincoln had gotten the knife away, and Murphy had been cross-examined heavily. But most of the trial testimony had come from Raven, and it had been challenging and emotional to be in the courtroom with Finn seated so close by. Murphy and Clarke had been with her every step of the way, Sinclair had called every week to talk, and Luna had kept her promise and taught her some relaxation techniques that she'd been using ever since. As awful as it was, she hadn’t been alone, and that had made all the difference. 

Now, although she’s still left with the lightweight brace around her leg as a reminder, there’s a peace that has come with knowing that Finn will be behind bars for a very long time. Both she and Murphy have had moments of guilt, blaming themselves for the damage Finn caused and wishing they had done things differently. But lucky for them they can each talk better sense into each other than they can do on their own, and the more time that passes, the better they both deal with it. Counseling has helped her too, not only in understanding that things aren't her fault, but in helping her to deal with the nightmares and trauma she sometimes still experiences when she closes her eyes. The disturbing images and fear still come too often for her tastes, even though she has learned ways to mitigate them. The best way is when Murphy is with her though, when she can curl up close and go back to sleep knowing he's there beside her and understands all of it. 

The sound of a lifeguard whistle coming from the direction of the lake catches her attention, bringing her back to her surroundings, and she starts to walk towards the sparkling water and the path that will lead to the Arts Pavilion. All the counselors are arriving today, gearing up for orientation and training before the campers start coming, but Murphy and Bellamy have been here for almost three weeks already, prepping the camp after the winter and taking care of some off-season maintenance after they finished the semester at USC. It’s the longest they’ve gone without seeing each other since they met that first night last summer, and Raven’s missed him terribly even though they’ve talked on the phone every night. 

There’s a slight breeze that brings the scent of the redwoods to her nose, mingling with the smell of the lake and the fresh air, and Raven feels happy in a way that only seems to exist here, at Camp Jaha. And somehow, the feeling gets better when she stops walking and pauses in the open doorway to the Photography classroom, watching silently as Murphy unboxes a few supplies. She’s considering just how to sneak up on him when he looks over his shoulder and spots her, his eyes lighting up and his legs closing the distance between them before she can even say hello. The familiar feel of his arms slip around her and a heartbeat later he’s kissing her breathless as she molds her body to his, and for a while nothing else exists except the two of them. 

Gradually the embrace becomes less needy, sweeter instead of desperate, and Murphy’s hands soften on her hip and the back of her head. He kisses down along her cheek, only stopping to nip at the sensitive skin of her neck. 

“I _ missed _ you,” he sighs, and she hears all of the love he has for her in those simple and wonderful words. 

“I missed _ you_,” Raven whispers, feeling like her heart might burst wide open with joy. She tilts her head just enough so she can stare contentedly at Murphy, amusing herself by tracing secret little hearts on the back of his neck with her fingers. She has it bad, she can admit it, but she doesn’t want it any other way. 

“Do you want to know something?”

Murphy nods slowly, his eyes twinkling with mischief as he walks her backwards to his desk, lifting her to sit on the edge of it. Raven locks her ankles around the backs of his thighs and smiles up at him adoringly. 

  
“I think it’s going to be an _ amazing _ summer,” she predicts, and with the way Murphy enthusiastically sucks on her bottom lip in response, she’s positive he agrees.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE END! I hope you liked it! This story was thought about for ages in my head and while it took more time than I wanted to have it fully come to fruition, I'm glad I was able to get it out into the world. It's one of my longest works to date and I'm thrilled it's finally complete! Thank you for all the support - I really appreciate the comments & kudos and it keeps me going more than you know. 
> 
> Keep hydrated and healthy during this crazy mess we've got going in the world today, okay? Keep your spirits up!
> 
> Thank you for reading!! xoxoxo


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